JOSEPH Anthony Singh was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, after he confessed to inflicting bodily injuries to his lover, after he saw her with another male at Ankerville, Port Mourant on December 6, 2013.Singh was indicted with murder, but he pleaded to the lesser count of manslaughter, which was accepted by State Counsel Natasha Baker.
Justice William Ramlal, initially imposed 15 years, but made deductions for the prisoner’s guilty plea, his period of incarceration, and his remorse through a handwritten letter to the Court.
In his statement, taken under caution by Sergeant Lawrence Thomas, Singh spoke of his intimate relationship with 26-year-old Jasmattie Ramotar, who he saw with another man during a visit to her home on that fateful night.
“Me see she with him, he run away when he see me. Officer, me get vex. And me tell she leh we go tek a walk before me behave bad right at the house. Me put she on me bicycle and me carry she at the back of Ankerville. Me ask she how long she and de man bin deh. Me ask she fuh tell me the truth, and me go away. But, she lied and me get vex.”
Singh confessed to grabbing a piece of wood and inflicting several lashes about the woman’s head, back and hands, resulting in her falling into a nearby drain. “I took her out of the drain. Me put she on the bicycle and carry her to the Port Mourant Hospital, but the doctor said she look bad. Shortly after she dead.”
In a mitigation plea, Defence Attorney Mr. Raymond said his client is an orphan without siblings. His formative years were spent at an orphanage and at age 14 was employed as a cattle ranger. Describing the act of his client as being impulsive, and out of character behaviour, Ali noted that the prisoner is a candidate of rehabilitation, who remains remorseful.
Meanwhile, in his response to the judge, Joseph Singh said his relationship with the now deceased spanned two years. Accounting for the absence of the victim’s relatives during the court hearing, Singh said her parents lived in Trinidad. “Sir, I was jealous of her.” “But, if you were so jealous, why you did not marry her,” the Judge questioned. “That is not love…If you were so much in love why you did not do the right thing. The person who opposed you is walking the street free and the person who did not fight back is dead,” Justice Ramlal remarked.
Further, the court was informed that the now deceased had mothered five children, the eldest being aged 10 years at the time of her death. A post- mortem report, prepared by Dr Vivikanand Brijmohan, Registered Forensic Pathologist, said death was due to shock and haemorrhage along with multiple wounds.