Former machine operator, Deonarine Seetaram of Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara (WCD), has been sentenced to eight years behind bars for the 2019 killing of re-migrant, Mohammed Shameem Hassan.
The sentence was handed down yesterday morning at the High Court in Georgetown, by Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry who has also ordered that deductions be made for the time Seetaram spent on remand awaiting trial.
Hassan, 53, also known as “Char,” had been fatally stabbed in his heart on the night of Saturday February 9th, 2019 at Anna Catherina, WCD during what was reported to have been a drinking spree at his home.
Following investigations by the police, Seetaram, called “Jericho,” formerly of Lot 125 Cornelia Ida, WCD, was arrested and charged with murder.
At his arraignment last month, Seetaram denied the charge of murder when it was read to him; but accepted guilt on the lesser count of manslaughter.
According to the case for the prosecution led by Prosecutor Caressa Henry, which the defence does not deny, Seetaram was seen by eye-witness David Persaud, arming himself with a pair of scissors, with which he stabbed Hassan to the chest.
Prosecutors say that Seetaram in a caution statement had admitted to stabbing Hassan with the pair of scissors.
His story had been that as he, Hassan and others were imbibing on the day in question, Hassan started making certain derogatory remarks about his (Seetaram’s) wife and daughter which incensed him.
It was at this point that Seetaram grabbed the nearby pair of scissors which he plunged into Hassan’s chest.
An autopsy revealed that Hassan, formerly of Lot 6 ‘B’ Anna Catherina, WCD, died as a result of perforation of the heart due to a stab wound.
Relatives had said that in March of 2018, he returned to Guyana from Venezuela where he had lived for some 25 years with his son, daughter and son-in-law.
Seetaram was represented by defence attorney Teriq Mohamed.
