OWNER OF Sanjay’s Jewellery, Bishnarine Sanjay Persaud, who was jailed for 58 months back in 2015 for causing the death of a City Council worker, has been freed of the charge.
The Guyana Court of Appeal on Tuesday freed Persaud after he was jailed on October 9, 2015 by Magistrate Judy Latchman. After listening to an appeal by Senior counsel Edward Luckhoo with another lawyer, Glenn Hanoman, on behalf of Persaud, Chancellor Carl Singh allowed the appeal after finding that the conviction was faulty.The defendant, of Lot 26 Sheriff Street,Campbellville, Georgetown, was found guilty of the causing death by dangerous driving charge, which had stated that on September 11, 2014, he drove motorcar PKK 501 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of Leon Hunte, a 55-year-old handyman attached to the Mayor and City Council. He was released on bail pending the appeal.
Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Sonia Joseph, represented the State. At the end of the appeal, the court sent an Order to the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Judicature, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Director of Prisons.
Hunte, of Stone Avenue, Blygezight, was heading home on his bicycle along Lamaha Street, Newtown, when he was hit by the car being driven by Persaud around 1.30 am on the day in question.
The deceased, who had been mute from birth, was a handyman at City Hall for more than two decades. He had been on short leave from work at the time of the accident, in order to celebrate his birthday.