By George Barclay

GANGA Persaud of Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo who, on July 30, 2009, savagely beat his wife into a state of unconsciousness when he saw her speaking with a man, was jailed for 15 years at the Demerara Assizes on Monday.Justice Navindra Singh imposed the penalty on the 54-year-old defendant after an assizes jury found the accused guilty of attempted murder on a majority verdict of 10 to two.

The state’s case was that upon seeing his wife talking to a male at Blankenburg, WCD on the day in question, Persaud had walked up to her and said, “I catch you! I catch you!” He then began punching her to the face until she fell to the ground in an unconscious state.

Witnesses said Persaud then sat on top of his wife and continued punching her for about five minutes, until blood was seen on the ground. After the blows, the accused reportedly stripped his wife of her clothing, then armed himself with a paling stave 4½ feet long and 1½ inches in width, with which he struck the woman on her neck before joining a bus.

He was later arrested by the police, and gave them a confession statement in which he said he had heard that his wife had had a relationship with a man.

The accused took the sentence calmly, but one female spectator burst into tears and had to be controlled.

Prosecuting for the State were State Counsel Miss Narissa Leander and Mr. Siand Dhurjon.