JUSTICE Brassington Reynolds and a mixed jury a the Demerara Assizes yesterday heard that accused Hameraj Rambachan had stabbed to death his intended mother-in-law, Rajpattie Jagroo, after his lover, Sharda, had told him she was ending their relationship. According to the girl, Sharda, she told her one-time lover, “I have found another man to be my husband.”

In her opening address to the jury, Prosecutor Renita Singh had alleged that Rajpattie Jagroo did not approve of the existing relationship between her daughter Sharda and the accused, and the girl consequently terminated the relationship. But in answer to questions posed by the jury, the girl said: “At the time, before my relationship was ended, my mother had accepted Hameraj Rambachan as my boyfriend and he used to pay me weekly visits, about 4 times per week. At that time I was not afraid of Hameraj, and he had no problem with me, (or) with any member of my family.

“In the early days of my friendship, the accused used to visit my home about 3 times per week. He never threatened me; he never threatened my mother nor any other members of my family.
Apart from slapping me when he slapped my mother on the 15th of July 2009, he was never abusive to me.”

In answer to cross-examination by defence counsel, Miss Faye Barker, the witness denied a suggestion that she was using a friend known as ‘Black Girl’ as an intermediary to mend the broken relationship between her and the accused.

The hearing continues today at the Demerara Assizes. (George Barclay)