Hemraj Bramdeo who was set to face trial for the 2016 murder of Wales Estate labourer, Dellon Bradford, is now awaiting sentencing after pleading to the lesser offence of manslaughter.
Before the prosecution opened its case yesterday morning, Bramdeo’s intention was communicated to the Court, through his attorney George Thomas.
The charge was then re-read to him and he pleaded not guilty to the capital offence; but accepted guilt on the lesser count of manslaughter.
He admitted to unlawfully killing Bradford on March 23rd, 2016.
Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall has deferred sentencing to December 12th to first hear from probation and other social impact reports.
The matter was called at the High Court in Demerara.
A 15-year-old girl had also been charged with Bradford’s killing, but the case against her had been discharged in the Magistrate’s Court.
This newspaper had previously reported that Bradford, who was known as ‘Chicken,’ 25, of Lot 417 Skull City, Patentia, on the West Bank Demerara; was stabbed on Phagwah night.
Police had said that the man was found on the roadway at Patentia with wounds on his body.
Mishka Bradford, the dead man’s sister, had told this newspaper that her brother’s death came at the hands of a resident called “Scrawly,” who is related to his common-law wife, identified only as ‘Anita.’
She noted that her brother’s friends and other witnesses told her that “Scrawly” and some other men were drinking at a shop when Bradford approached them to speak to speak to Anita, who was there at the time.
An argument ensued between Bradford and Anita over their children and her drinking and somehow the group who was there joined the argument and tried to defend the woman.
She had said she was told that while her brother was turning to leave the group, the men allegedly pounced on him and started to attack him. She said persons told her that “Scrawly” and another male, who were armed with knives, stabbed her brother and beat him badly.
“The people say my brother did not retaliate. He was unarmed and he was trying to escape from those who were attacking him,” Mishka had said.
Bradford is survived by his three children, who at the time were ages 1, 2 and 7.
