THIRTY-YEAR-OLD Ravindra Bandoo who fatally chopped his wife during an argument at their home at Princetown, Corriverton, Corentyne, on March 8, 2016, confessed to the crime following his appearance before Justice James Bovel Drakes, at the Berbice Assizes.

Bandoo, who is represented by Attorney Charrandas Persaud denied the capital charge of murder for which he was indicted, but, pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, which was accepted by the State. A probation report has since been ordered.

State Prosecutrix Ms Orintha Schmidt said, on March 8, 2016, Bandoo was consuming alcohol at a neighbour’s house after which he went home and an argument ensued between himself and his wife. Consequently, he armed himself with a cutlass and inflicted several chops about the face and head of Indrawattee Somwar, called Sharda.
The woman was picked up and rushed to the Skeldon Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

The post mortem report, prepared by Dr Vivikanand Brijmohan recorded the cause of death as haemorrhage, along with multiple incised wounds.

Meanwhile, in his caution statement, Bandoo confessed to the crime, while adding that he usually give the now deceased woman all his money, but she had refused to give him finances to purchase alcohol. “She just kept nagging, telling me to stop drinking. I got annoyed and I picked up the cutlass and dealt her several chops,” he concluded.