A jury yesterday afternoon found Rayon Carter not guilty of a charge of murder, which Justice Jo-Ann Barlow said was not a surprising verdict even as she lamented the need for improvement in the administration of justice.
Following some hours of deliberations, the 12-member panel returned with its unanimous verdict, finding Carter not guilty of the allegation leveled against him by the State, for the 2018 murder of former Kaneville machine operator Ishwar Ramanah.
It had been the second trial faced by Carter. His first ended in a hung jury back in March of last year.
The police’s case against him was that he had murdered Ramanah on January 13th, 2018, at Kaneville, East Bank Deme-rara (EBD) during the course or furtherance of a robbery.
In her admonition to Carter to make something of his life, Justice Barlow said that given the quality of the evidence presented by the prosecution, the verdict returned by the jury was really not surprising.
In her brief remarks following the foreman’s announcement, Justice Barlow said that there was much she wanted to say regarding prosecutions and investigations but said that she preferred to restrain herself, lest what she says is misrepresented.
She said that as much as she was willing to say, however, was that the administration of justice in this country has to be improved on all levels, so that confidence can be reposed in citizens that it is a system that is working.
“From where I sit, it is not working properly,” the Judge said.
She reiterated, however, that she did not want to be embroiled in any squabble as to why the system is “broken,” while adding that whatever else she wants to say, will be said privately, in case it is taken out of context.
It is not the first time that Justice Barlow and a number of other judges have had cause to voice their concern with the prosecutorial arm of the State and some of the cases taken before the courts.
In her address to a visibly relieved Carter, who had been incarcerated for the past four years and who has always maintained his innocence, Justice Barlow challenged him to use his experience to better his life.
She told him that there are times people go looking for trouble and other times when trouble comes looking for people.
On this point, she told the former-accused that now that he is acquitted, she does not want to see him before any other court and that his focus should be on living such a life that the police would not be able to call him out for any other infraction.
She told him also, that he should endeavour to live a life not being remembered as someone who was once in prison, but for more—as someone who was in prison, was acquitted, and made something of himself.
Carter was represented by defence attorney Konyo Sandiford, while the prosecution’s case was led by state counsel Latifah Elliot.
Ramanah, called ‘Jack,’ formerly of Lot 624 Macaw Drive, Kaneville, EBD, was fatally shot in the abdomen during a robbery after his house was invaded, the police had said.
Afterward, he was rushed to the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital, where he was treated before being transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).
He underwent surgery and was admitted as a patient of the Intensive Care Unit of the GPH, where he eventually succumbed exactly one month later—on January 13th, 2018.
The attack was reportedly carried out by two gunmen, who invaded Ramanah’s home and robbed him of a $40,000 gold chain.
