SHAYANDIAL Ramroop was on Friday freed by Justice Jo Ann Barlow at the Berbice Assizes, after she upheld no-case submissions by Defence Counsel Ms. Kim Kyte in association with Attorney-at-law Tania Clement.Ramroop had been arraigned for the murder of 18-year-old Ajai Cecil, who died of a single stab wound to the heart on November 11, 2012, the day after he celebrated his first wedding anniversary.

Following the judge’s directive, the 12-member mixed jury was ordered to return a formal verdict of ‘Not guilty’. Ramroop quickly exited the courtroom, accompanied by a sibling of his who was in the courtroom.

Earlier, State Prosecutrix Ms. Stacy Goodings had led the evidence of four witnesses, who all stated that the incident had occurred at Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, where Cecil, a nut seller, had earlier attended a fun day at a nearby ground.

He was returning home with a relative, when he was fatally stabbed.
The injured man was initially taken to the Port Mourant Hospital, but seeing that the gates to the health facility were closed, he was subsequently then taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital, were medical practitioners certified his death.

However, in her submissions, Kyte said the evidence of the prosecution’s main witness, Deonarine Bishram, called ‘Rakesh’, was manifestly unreliable and riddled with inconsistencies.

His evidence is in conflict with his police statement and deposition, which highlighted issues which were not resolved, and goes to the root of the State’s case, she concluded.