At Demerara Assizes…
DILIP Lambert, who was indicted at the Demerara Assizes for the 2007 murder of his wife, Pearl Kunja, was discharged Thursday, after the jury found him not guilty of the capital offence. But he has to face another trial on the lesser count of manslaughter, Justice Roxanne George ruled.
The jurors disagreed, with nine against and three in favour of a manslaughter conviction. Apart from a unanimous verdict, the acceptable majority for that crime is in the proportion of 11 to one or 10 to two.
After the judge informed the accused that he would be remanded to prison pending his retrial, Defence Counsel Peter Hugh submitted that manslaughter is a bailable offence and applied for bail.
Justice George said she would give the Prosecution an opportunity to react to the application on June 29, when State Counsel Rhondell Weever and Latchmie Rahamat will oppose or agree to the grant.
The State had alleged that Lambert pelted a lighted kerosene stove at his wife, causing her to be severely burnt and die but he claimed the burning was accidental.
Following the judge’s one and three-quarters hours summation, the jury retired but returned to the courtroom for further directions in relation to murder and manslaughter, then took four and a half hours to reach their unanimous not guilty verdict on the former offence and disagree on the latter.