FOLLOWING the jury’s guilty verdict, Justice Navindra Singh sentenced Better Hope murder accused Christopher Singh, 21, to 66 years and his friend Devindra Bushram, 22, to 50 years.

They were found guilty of the savage murder of Javed Mohamed, who was knifed to death on the Better Hope public road outside the Community Centre Ground on the night of September 11, 2010, when a floodlight cricket match was being played.
Upon hearing the jury’s verdict, Singh spat on the head of Lawyer Raymond Ali, who defended No. 2 accused Davindra Bushram, called ‘Bird Brains’.
Unfortunately, Lawyer Ali did not report the matter to the judge until the prisoner had left the dock to begin serving his sentence.
Reacting to the verdict, Singh asked the court for leniency, but Prosecutrix Mrs. Judith Mursalin, who conducted the case in association with Miss Narissa Leander and Mr. Michael Shahoud, asked the court to show Singh the same mercy he had showed Javed Mohamed.
The fatal injury was the puncturing of Mohamed’s heart.Mr. Raymond Ali had, among other things, said that his client had done a lot of religious courses in prison. He too asked for leniency and was told that he had been involved in a joint enterprise and although he did not strike the fatal blow, he was equally guilty.
Singh, who himself had injuries, had told the police: “Me and a man had a fight and as a result of the fight, I get these injuries.”
Davendra Bushram, when replying to the caution put to him by Detective Inspector Burnett, had said: “Me nah stab nobody nor did I take any body’s band.”

(By George Barclay)