THIRTY–NINE-year-old minibus driver Uttanpad Sewnarine, aka “Umesh” and “Paddy”, appeared on Tuesday before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, charged with attempting to murder 29-year-old Selina Ramotar, his ex-lover and mother of his child.

The father of three, who resides at lot 78 Sherriff Street, Campbellville, was not required to plead to the indictable offence, and was remanded to prison until July 29. It is alleged that on June 09, at David Street, Kitty, he stabbed Ramotar twelve times in an attempt to kill her.

Mark Waldron, attorney-at-law representing Sewnarine, requested a speedy trial for his client, but police prosecutor Corporal Deniro Jones disclosed that Ramotar is still hospitalized at a private hospital in the city.

Sewnarine had reportedly planned to kill Ramotar. He allegedly pounced on her as she was returning home from buying dinner, and he stabbed her with a small ‘skinning knife’ more than 10 times. However, Ramotar was rescued by several young men who witnessed the incident. They apprehended and tied up Sewnarine, and handed him over to the police.

“He told them that they could do whatever they want to do because he done kill she, and that is what he said he went there to do,” one of Ramotar’s siblings, who prefers to remain anonymous, told this newspaper.

Recollecting on her sister’s relationship with the man, the sibling noted that the minibus driver had struck up a relationship with her sister some 10 years ago, at which time her sister was unaware that he was married and had children.

She said her sister had already borne a child for the man when she was informed that he was married. Sometime later, the affair became an “on and off” exercise, as her sister lost interest in the relationship.

She said the man would hit her sister at times, and her sister decided last year to cut all ties with him. This development put the man in a state of jealousy, but he was still allowed to visit the family to see his daughter.
Thus, on Saturday evening, when the man appeared at her mother’s home, “We took it for nothing, because he would come and see the child.” However, the man’s bloody attack has left the family in a state of shock.

The suspect’s immediate relatives have, over the weekend, made attempts to visit the injured Ramotar, but her relatives have since requested the GPHC to ensure that security staffers prohibit any of the suspect’s relatives from venturing near her bed.