A Corentyne man who opted to plead guilty to manslaughter last month for his wife’s murder in 2017, yesterday begged the court for mercy as he claimed to have learned his lesson, adding that he did not expect the mother of three to die.
Raywatram Mooloo, also known as ‘Adesh’, and ‘Cow Curry,’ 31, of Lot 36 Number 58 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, had appeared before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall where he entered the plea of guilty last month at the High Court in Berbice.
Representing the state was attorney-at-law, Nafeeza Baig, while Mooloo was represented by attorney-at-law, Surihya Sabsook.
In June, 2017, Mooloo used both an iron rod and a piece of wood to hit his common-law wife, Gomattie Ramsingh about her body. He reportedly also hit the woman with the iron rod in the head.
Ramsingh, before subsequently succumbing in hospital, recounted the beating in a video recording where she stated that Mooloo, who is a fisherman, dragged her by her hair up the stairs. She had said that the attack was a result of her taking Mooloo’s drugs and throwing it away. She also disclosed that he demanded money to make a second purchase of drugs but after she did not provide him with any more, he went into a rage.
A post-mortem examination revealed that Ramsingh died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head, as well as spinal and other internal injuries.
Arguing for leniency for her client yesterday, attorney Sabsook said that Ramsingh held on to the accused “causing him to hit her head three times.” She noted that the accused has admitted that on the day in question “he wanted money from his wife who refused to give it to him and this resulted in a fight between them.”
The attorney further argued that during the struggle Ramsingh fell and the accused picked her up and soaked the woman’s head with water and then took her to the hospital the following day. “He has chosen to plead guilty at the earliest opportunity that he’s afforded. He made a voluntary disclosure of this offence to the police at the time when this incident happened.”
Furthermore, she pointed out that the facts entered do not indicate that the act was deliberate, but rather a “retaliation of the provocation that he received.”
The defence attorney contended that with counselling and training, the accused, who has spent over five years on remand, can be rehabilitated back into society given his age and background.
Mooloo then told the court, that he was “very sorry for what happened” and that he never expected his wife to die. He emphasised that he has learnt a lesson as he begged Justice Morris-Ramlall for mercy, saying that he wants to contribute positively to society.
However, Prosecutor Baig drew the court’s attention to the prevalence of such crimes within society stating that “senseless violence leads to senseless deaths.” She also highlighted the nature and gravity of the offence coupled with the fact that the woman, a mother of three, was only 33 years old when she lost her life.
Ramsingh’s niece, Chitra Kumar, in a victim statement yesterday said the “untimely death” of the woman has left the family heartbroken. She pleaded for justice “because my aunt died and left three young girl children back and everyone is heartbroken because we didn’t expect it that way because if wasn’t for he she wouldn’t a die this time.”
A probation report was also presented to the court yesterday and following the presentations of both the state and defence, Justice Morris-Ramlall deferred sentencing to next Monday.
