AFTER deliberating for just under two hours, the mixed jury in the Bush Lot Village murder trial unanimously found Ramesh Sahadeo, called Bobo, guilty of the September 20, 2009 murder of fellow villager Darshanan Ramanan, known as ‘Tato’.

This was Sahadeo’s second trial within a year.
Asked by Justice Brassington Reynolds whether he wished to say anything before the death sentence was imposed, the convict muttered incoherently under his breath, following which the Court Marshall told those in the courtroom to stand in silence as the death sentence was passed on the prisoner.
In imposing the death penalty, Justice Brassington Reynolds said, “The sentence of this court upon you is that you be taken from this place to a lawful prison, and thence to a place of execution; and that you suffer death by hanging, and that your body be afterwards buried in the precincts of the prison in which you shall have been confined before your execution. And may the Lord have mercy on your soul”.
The prisoner showed no sign of emotion as the sentence was imposed, but relatives of the deceased who were present in court expressed satisfaction at the verdict.
In his unsworn statement from the dock, Sahadeo had stated that he was innocent of the charge.
Recalling the events of September 20, 2009, he said that while walking towards North Pole Street in Bush Lot Village, West Coast Berbice, he saw ‘Texas’ and ‘Tato’ standing on the street. As he attempted to stand next to them, his hand jammed ‘Tato’, and as a result the latter said ‘he nah want none leper man, no sick man, jam he’.
“I asked whether a simple issue as that should be laughed at, and he turned and slapped me. Questioned why the assault was made on my person, Tato started to curse me, before saying if I wanted something more, he can give it to me.
“He thereafter pelted a brick at me, prior to removing a short cutlass from his waist and coming towards me, resulting in a scuffle between us. As we fought on the ground, Texas said ‘chop he! Chop he!’ I got away from him, and ran home and reported what had happened to my mother, who had promised to go with me to the station. However, the police kept me in custody before instituting a murder charge against me.”
Presenting the case for the prosecution, State Counsel Dionne McCammon said, “On September 20, 2009, during the afternoon hours, Vishal Dayaram called ‘Texas’,  saw Darshanan Ramanan, known as ‘Tato’ seated on a concrete structure at Third Street, Middle Dam, Bush Lot Village, West Coast Berbice. Dayaram, who was armed with a cutlass, had earlier retraced his steps from the backlands, when he saw and stopped to speak with Ramanan.
Minutes later, he departed and came in contact with the fellow villagers, and the accused, who asked to borrow his cutlass, which was used to inflict an injury to the neck of the now deceased.
“The wounded man was taken to the Fort Wellington Cottage Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. A subsequent autopsy report revealed that death was due to shock and haemorrhage and incised wound to the neck”.