FOLLOWING a unanimous guilty verdict by a 12-member mixed jury on June 15 in the Georgetown High Court before Justice Sandil Kissoon, the two convicts of the 2014 “Skull City” murder was sentenced to 40 years imprisonment each following a probation report on Tuesday.

In handing down his sentence, the judge said he started at a base of 50 years of which he made a total of 10 years deductions.

Justice Sandil Kissoon told the court that he deducted four years for time served; three years for the plea of mitigation by defence attorney and three years for remorse expressed.

The judge stated that the two accused participated in a cruel and callous attack on a defenceless man where one or both of them were armed and inflicted the fatal wound which took the life of Sunil Ramsundar.

After their sentencing and as they were led away to jail, The Number One Accused, Vishwanie Ragnauth, started to cry as she was placed to sit in the Police Outpost at the Georgetown High Court on Tuesday.

Her partner, the Number Two Accused, Nyron Thakurdyal, donned sunglasses and calmly exited the court.

A handful of relatives of both convicts gasped when Justice Kissoon handed down the sentence of 40 years imprisonment each.

In reading the probation report in open court on Tuesday, Senior Probation Officer, Zola Cameron-Lubin said that Ragnauth, called “Shelly”, was 38 and a mother of three, who lived with her extended family at 405 “Skull City”, Patentia.

She added that she was the product of a broken home and had three siblings. She only benefited from a primary education and started to work at age 17 as a sales clerk, and in 2013, she met the #2 accused Nyron Thakurdyal.

The duo shared a visiting relationship and would often imbibe heavily and also abuse illegal substances such as cocaine and cannabis sativa, of which the #1 accused sold in the community, the Probation officer said.

Cameron-Lubin stated that the #1 accused behaved disorderly and was abusive physically and verbally to at least one of her spouses. She had two prior relationships and had stabbed one of her partners who abandoned the union.

Cameron-Lubin told the court that based on her investigation at the community level, she learnt that on the day in question, the Numbers One and Two Accused were drinking when the latter pushed one of the deceased’s daughters, causing her to fall. And when the child started to cry, her dad asked her what had caused her to cry.

Relatives of the deceased said they are still in grief at the loss of their loved one who left behind children, all because of a simple misunderstanding.

In reading the probation report of the #2 accused Nyron Thakurdyal called “One Eye”, Senior Probation Officer Zola Cameron-Lubin said he was 31 years old and used to reside at lot 59 Industry, East Coast Demerara and at ‘Skull City,” Patentia.

He was self-employed selling hygienic products and was the father of six children.

Thakurdyal grew up at Albion, Berbice with parents. His mother was a sweets vendor and his dad was a teacher but when they separated he exited the school system.

In 1985 he migrated with his family to the US and was deported for narcotics in 2003, and later worked as a construction worker in Bahamas.

The probation officer added that the #2 accused lacked remorse and maintained that he was innocent of the crime but regret that a life was lost.

In his plea of mitigation defence attorney, Nigel Hughes said that the duo were not involved in the festivities and were not imbibing when the #1 accused was pinned by a fence by her uncle during a heated row.

When she screamed the #2 accused responded as the peacemaker and it was most unfortunate and regrettable that a life was loss and there was no evidence of a plan between the two.

In her address to the court, Vishwanie Ragnauth said: “I am so sorry for what happened. I lost my uncle and I have three kids at home that need me.”

She then asked for leniency in her sentencing.

In his address to the court, Nyron Thakurdyal expressed remorse and sympathy to the relatives of the deceased.

He asked for a lenient sentence since he wanted to return to society and to his six children to be a constructive father.

In response, state prosecutor Lisa Cave told the court that the circumstances of the incident should be considered since it was an unprovoked and senseless attack on the deceased.

A 12-member mixed jury on June 5 after deliberating for several hours found both accused guilty of the 2014 “Skull City” Patentia murder.

Their verdict was unanimous and was announced by the foreman in the Georgetown High Court before Justice Sandil Kissoon.

The #1 accused Vaswantie Ragnauth and the # 2 accused Nyron Thakurdyal both pleaded not guilty to the charge they are indicted which states that on December 26, 2014 they allegedly murdered Sunil Ramsundar.

The state was led by prosecutor Lisa Cave in association with Orinthia Schmidt, while the defence attorney was Nigel Hughes.

Dr. Vivekanand Brijmohan testified that the deceased Sunil Ramsundar died of a single wound to the neck.

He opined that the murder weapon could likely be the kitchen knife in question and the deceased had a defensive wound on his hand.