Judge’s mercy cuts sentence by 16 years
The deceased: Roger Manikam (Kaieteur News photo).
The deceased: Roger Manikam (Kaieteur News photo).

VEERAM Dias was on Tuesday sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment by Justice Sandil Kissoon in the Georgetown High Court, after he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter for the 2016 killing of Roger Manikam at Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara.

In handing down his sentence, the judge told the court that having computed the sentence which carries the maximum of 30 years for manslaughter, he had deducted eight years for the accused’s guilty plea, five years for the attorney’s plea of mitigation, one year for the accused’s show of remorse and his acceptance of responsibility and two years for time served.

In this News Source photo Veeram Dias and Devon Brown when they were charged.

After all the deductions were made the accused would have to serve 14 years.

In her plea of mitigation, defence attorney Latchmie Rahamat told the court that the accused who pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter was only 23 years old and was in a relationship with one of the daughters of the deceased.

She added that before the incident he had an unblemished report and circumstances made him take drastic action which led to the loss of a life, but in the early stage he opted to plea and save the court’s time.

Rahamat explained that the accused had accepted what he did and had since expressed remorse for his action.

She also begged the court for leniency in sentencing, noting that the accused was a first time offender who had managed to stay out of trouble in jail and to temper mercy with justice.

Veeram Dias in his address to the court expressed remorse and said he was sorry for what he did and regretted his actions and asked the court for mercy.

In his opening address to the court, State Prosecutor Mandel Moore said that the accused on the day in question struck the deceased on his head with an axe.

After the deceased fell to the ground the accused continued to rain blows on his body which resulted in his death.

Moore told the court that at that point, the accused telephoned his friend, Devon Brown, who came to the scene at Lot 237 Section ‘B’ Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara, the home of the deceased where they placed the body in Brown’s car and dumped it on the Coldingen Railway Embankment.

The prosecutor said the cause of death was given as cerebral haemorrhage as a result of a blunt trauma to the head.

Veeram Dias along with two others were charged for the April 2, 2016 murder of Roger Manikam while, Devon Brown, a taxi driver was charged for accessory after the fact to the same offence.

Brown was acquitted on Tuesday and walked out of the High Court a free man after Justice Sandil Kissoon told him he was free to go having spent two years in jail, noting that the penalty carried a two-year sentence.

In his plea of mitigation, defence attorney Dexter Todd told the court that his client was only 24 years old with small children whose mother cannot be located.

He stated too that his client was never in trouble with the law before and that since his incarceration his mother passed away. He had also lost his eldest brother and father and was supporting his younger siblings.

Todd told the court that Brown who hails from Crane, West Bank Demerara, received a call from his friend, Veeram Dias, to assist him to start his car since he was having engine trouble.

As a result, Brown showed up and was told certain things by Dias but was unaware of the murder and being ignorant of the law he did certain things to assist his friend. He was, though, not present when the incident took place, Todd said.

Todd, however, asked the court for mercy and a reduced sentence for his client who would like to return to society and his children.

 

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