A 25-year-old man was on Tuesday sentenced to two years imprisonment by Magistrate Fabayo Azore for causing the death of his common-law wife in a motorcycle accident back in July last year.

After one year of trial, Laurent McGarrell of Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara, was on Tuesday found guilty of causing the death of Gaitri Sahadeo.
Magistrate Azore, in her ruling, stated that the elements she ruled on were the fact that McGarrell was speeding and he was not wearing a helmet at the time and also was an unlicensed driver.

When McGarrell made his first appearance before Chief Magistrate; Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, he had denied that on July 23, 2017 at Providence, he drove motorcycle, CJ 1957, in a manner dangerous to the public, causing the death of Sahadeo.

McGarrell, a Forklift Operator at Caribbean Containers Inc., was released on $100,000 bail by the chief magistrate. He was then immediately taken before City Magistrate, Sunil Scarce, to answer to six other traffic related offences as a result of the accident. He was charged with driving without a driver’s licence; driving without third party insurance; driving without a safety helmet and driving the motorcycle without the owner’s consent.

He was also charged with driving the motorcycle while being under the influence of alcohol. A breathalyser test was done on McGarrell which showed that he had a blood-alcohol level of 40 micrograms.

He had pleaded guilty to all of the charges except taking the motorcycle without the consent of the owner. He explained to the court, then, that “his brain is not working since he is studying his dead wife” and he is not in the right frame of mind. Magistrate Scarce then ordered that McGarrell be examined by a psychiatrist. McGarrell was ordered to post bail in the sum of $20,000 on each charge. As a condition of bail, McGarrell was ordered to report to the Providence Police Station every Saturday until the determination of the matter.

According to reports, the accident occurred at around 00:30hrs on the eastern carriageway of the Providence, EBD Public Road, when the motorcycle suffered a blowout. Sahadeo, who was the pillion rider and who was not wearing a helmet, reportedly sustained injuries to the head. She was picked up in an unconscious condition and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she succumbed.