JUSTICE Dawn Gregory, presiding in the father-in-law murder trial, yesterday sentenced the accused, Marlon Ganesh, to 8 years’ imprisonment for manslaughter after a mixed jury at the Demerara Assizes found him guilty of the lesser count of manslaughter, but not guilty of the capital offence of murder.

The judge inflicted the penalty following a stirring plea in mitigation by defence counsel, Mr. Huckumchand, who had asked the jury to find that his client had acted in self-defence.
Marlon Ganesh was on trial for the alleged murder of his father-in-law, Roopnarine Singh, who was stabbed to death on Christmas Day, 2008. The court was told that, on the day in question, they were merry making and imbibing alcohol when Ganesh had a misunderstanding with his wife (daughter of the deceased) that resulted in him cussing his wife and her mother.
The trouble started after Roopnarine called upon his son-in-law to refrain from cussing, and told him that if he continued with his bad behaviour, he (the accused) would have to leave the house.
According to the eyewitness, the accused not only said, “No problem”, but began to pack up his belongings. Told by the deceased that he must hurry-up, the accused pushed his father-in-law and subsequently stabbed him with a knife, causing him to die in hospital.
Ms. Renita Singh, prosecuting, urged the jury to reject the defence story about self defence.