MAGISTRATE Leslie Sobers yesterday handed Bahadoor Yogunauth a two-year suspended sentence for dangerous driving that had resulted in the death of a husband and wife back in August 2010.

Yogunauth, also known as Bahadoor Parbattie, was not required to plead when he initially appeared in court in September 2010 before then acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson.
Particulars of the charge had stated  that on August 28, 2010, he drove motorcar PJJ 1260 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of Noland D’Oliveira and his wife Bibi, also known as Lynette.
Yogunauth, a 27-year-old taxi driver  of Lot 199 Block ‘X’ Diamond New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, was remanded to prison and the matter was transferred to the Providence Magistrate’s Court, over which Sobers is now presiding.
Having been found guilty of the charges recently, Sobers yesterday announced the suspended sentence, which in essence meant that Yogunauth was a free man, but would  serve the sentence only if he committed another offence within the next two years.
Yogunauth was also disqualified from driving for the next 10 months.
Meanwhile, according to Prosecutor Shellon Daniels’s facts,  D’Oliviera was driving motorcycle CE 9048 south along the eastern side of Friendship Public Road, when Yogunauth’s motorcar came from behind  “at a very fast rate of speed” and collided with the  motorcycle.
Sobers yesterday,  however,  said that Yogunauth was not speeding and had not been found under the influence of alcohol. The magistrate said it was a “momentary lapse” on Yogunauth’s part as he just failed to sound his horn when he was passing the motorcycle.
Sobers told the deceased’s children, Davis and Debbie, yesterday that Yogunauth wanted to pay them $500,000 as compensation. This, the magistrate offered, was some sort of proof that Yogunauth was remorseful and was sharing their pain.
Both Davis and Debbie, however, refused the money.  Noland, 70, and Bibi, 63, a husband and wife of 44 years, had just finished conducting a bible study in the vicinity of Friendship and were returning home when the tragedy struck.
According to reports at the time, the motorcar in question was in the process of overtaking another vehicle when it threw the couple off their motorcycle.   Mrs. D’Oliviera died on the spot and was found with a cracked skull and an almost severed ankle. Her husband suffered from internal bleeding and a damaged spine. He died while at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Further reports alleged that the driver of the motorcar was under the influence of alcohol, was speeding and “swaying”  and was not in receipt of a valid driver’s licence at the time.
A close friend of the D’Olivieras had told this newspaper that Mr. D’Oliviera rode his cycle “like a turtle” and would usually proceed with caution on the roadways.