Suraj Veersammy, the man accused of murdering his wife whose battered body was stuffed in a barrel which was found partially submerged in a trench at R and S Street, Belvedere, Corentyne, in April, 2020 will return to court in January to be sentenced after he opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter yesterday.
Veersammy, also known as `Radesh’, 30, a labourer, of Belvedere Village, Corentyne, was yesterday arraigned at the High Court in Berbice before Justice Navindra Singh for the offence of murder.
However, he opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter which read that on April 9, 2020, he unlawfully killed the 24-year-old woman.
Justice Singh then ordered a probation report and deferred sentencing to January 30, 2023.
The State was represented by prosecutor Nafeeza Baig.
The battered body of Devika Vickram also known as “Vanessa”, formerly of Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo, was found in a barrel in a trench at R and S Street in April, 2020.
The body with visible marks of violence was found head down in the blue plastic barrel, which was partly submerged in the trench. The body, which was clad in a green and white striped dress, was discovered with a green, white and black peacock bed sheet wrapped tightly around the neck.
Furthermore, marks of violence were noticed around the woman’s left eye, stomach, left shoulder, left hand and left leg.
Following the discovery, Veersammy was arrested under the Canje Bridge and later confessed that he murdered the woman on April 9, 2020.
He had said that after he and Vanessa started a relationship they decided to leave the place of shelter to start a life together on their own. A source had said the accused claimed that Vanessa would often nag at him which would start their fights.
Residents in the area had said that they last saw the woman on the morning of April 9. They recalled hearing the couple fighting on the said day.
The man had said during the said fight he took a sheet to hang himself but instead he struck the woman to the head, hung her, cut her down and then stuffed her face down into a barrel and after which he dumped her in a nearby trench.
