Reputed husband of the murdered hairdresser and the alleged hit-man were yesterday remanded to prison by Magistrate Nashaya Williams-Hatmin after they were charged with the capital offence of murder at the Vreed-en-hoop Magistrate Court, West Coast Demerara. Dennis Persaud, 55, of 22 Hague, on the West Coast Demerara, and Troy Green, 22, (no address given) were not required to plead to the indictable offence, which stated that on May 29, they murdered Bibi Rafeena Saymar.
Defence Counsels Mr. Vic Puran represented Persaud and Ms. Mishka Puran represented Green.
Ms. Puran informed the magistrate that her client was beaten by the police and requested that he be examined by a doctor as soon as possible. She said her client has visible marks of violence and can identify the policemen who beat him.
In shackles, Green told the court that he was beaten by six officers and has visible marks on his body, which he showed to the magistrate.
The magistrate granted the lawyer’s request for Green to be examined by a doctor and adjourned the case for July 13.
After the court proceeding, Ms. Puran informed reporters that she had visited her client at the police station and saw marks of violence on him. She said Green indicated to her that he signed a confession statement under duress.
She said she requested an examination of her client because she is fearful that the marks of violence will go away and officials would not believe that the confession statement was signed under duress.
Ms. Puran also told reporters that, based on her client’s statement, when he entered the hairdresser’s home, she was already dead.
Meanwhile, a close friend of Persaud, who wishes to remain anonymous, told reporters outside the courtroom that the media do not have the entire truth of the story. He claimed that Persaud is legally married and his wife lives in Canada.
The man alleged that the deceased was having an affair and the relationship became sour when Persaud found out. He said he begged the accused to return to his wife in Canada and to forget about the deceased, but the accused ignored him.
“He loved this girl, but like he couldn’t take it anymore. The girl was seeing someone else and the person who she was seeing beat Persaud up about couple months back and like that triggered him” said the man.
Friends and relatives of the deceased flocked the court compound when the accused were being escorted to the police lock-ups.
Earlier, the mother of the deceased, Sunita Saymar, related that her daughter had been in an abusive relationship with her reputed husband for two years.
The woman also told the Chronicle that her daughter had indicated that she wanted to get out of the relationship, but was too afraid to move, since her husband had often threatened to make her life and the lives of her family miserable.
Sunita Symar said the last time she saw her daughter alive was Wednesday last when her reputed husband arrived at her home to take her to lunch. She said her daughter was married to Persaud according to Hindu rites two years ago.
The woman explained that her daughter lived a very guarded life, and was often accused of infidelity by her jealous husband. She said, “He told her he would disfigure her and blow her brains out if she ever left him, or try to; because if he cannot have her, then no other man will.”
Bibi was stabbed to death in her apartment Saturday morning by someone who was allegedly hired by her reputed husband to kill her. The killer entered her apartment through an unlocked window and attacked her. The back of the deceased bore the brunt of the injuries and she had a single wound on her neck.
Bibi was later taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.