VINDRA SIRIRAM was on Monday afternoon sentenced to 22 years imprisonment for the 2014 killing of his wife, whose head was submerged in a bucket of water, near their Friendship home, East Bank Demerara.

In April, a 12-member jury found Siriram guilty of the lesser count of manslaughter in the proportion of 10 to 2 after which a probation report was ordered by the trial judge following a request by his attorney.

In handing down the sentence, Justice James Bovell-Drakes took into account the age of the deceased, Shelly Ann Persaud who was 22 years. The judge deducted four years for time served and another four years for good behaviour behind bars, arriving at a total of 22 years’ imprisonment.

Bovell-Drakes told the convict to use the time in prison to re-evaluate his conduct and upon his return to his community, he would be a better person.

He told the court that before the incident the convict was imbibing and based on the evidence, the deceased was submerged in water. There were compression injuries to the neck (choking) and blunt trauma to the body.

The judge added that Dr. Nehaul Singh gave the cause of death as asphyxiation due to drowning.

Probation and Social Services Officer, Isha Bartrum, in reading the probation report, said Siriram lived with his common law wife and three children and has another daughter from a previous relationship.

He was born to parents who shared a common law union and was the eldest of three siblings and when his parents separated, he went to live with his grandmother.

Bartrum added that the convict was not expected to survive because he had meningitis and after a period of hospitalization, he was treated at home by his grandmother who gave him herbal medicines.

As such, he exited the school system early and at the age 15, he learnt the art of spray painting but worked as a labourer for three years. He was then employed as a skilled spray painter for seven years.

He was a spray painter up until his incarceration and it was noted he provided for his family.

Bartrum told the court that the children are in foster homes and it was noted that the convict was described as a dedicated father by villagers.
She related that he met Shelly Ann Persaud when he went to buy food at her mother’s roadside food stand when she was only 15 years old and he was 19.

Bartrum stated that the couple had constant domestic disputes but the convict denied killing his wife and expressed the need to be reunited with his children since he did not have a strong bond with his parents.

The probation officer said she spoke to the eldest daughter via the telephone who said she missed her mother and had a photo of her and was happy she was with a family.

She was, however, unable to speak to the two younger daughters but a sister of the deceased said she missed her sibling because they were close.

In his plea of mitigation, defence attorney Damian Da Silva noted the previous good character of his client who was described as an industrious person who was committed to his family.

He pointed out that the convict was not a menace to society and he clearly did not intend to cause the death of his wife. It was because they had a heated argument and it ended with someone losing their life.

Da Silva added that his client was regretful and for the past four years in jail, he had time to reflect on what occurred and as such, asked for leniency in his sentencing and for the judge to temper justice with mercy.

He asked the court for a chance for his client to make amends for what happened.

Meanwhile, in response, state prosecutor Seeta Bishundial asked for the maximum sentence to be imposed, bearing in mind the evidence revealed that the accused used to beat his wife in the presence of their children whenever he was drunk.
She added that the convict committed a heinous crime on the morning of his daughters’ national grade six exams and had no consideration that his three young daughters were asleep in the house when he took the life of their mother.

Bishundial told the court that based on Dr. Nehaul Singh’s testimony, he demonstrated what would happen if water goes into the mouth and nostrils of a person. He pointed out that the person would be fighting for their life and struggling to draw breath.

The prosecutor said the convict intended to kill his wife when he pushed her head into a bucket of water and held it down for 15 minutes.

She related that it was not a one-off incident and the convict did not give his wife a chance to bring up their three children and to contribute as a devoted mother to the community.

Bishundial told the court that the convict did not show any remorse and there were too many incidents involving intimate partners where domestic violence and alcoholism should have no place in society.

As such, the State asked the court to send a strong message to those who drink alcohol, beat their spouses and eventually murder them.

According to the State’s case, between June 9 and 10, 2014 the accused murdered his wife, Shelly Ann Persaud.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the offence for which he was indicted.

He was represented by defence attorney, Damian Da Silva, while the state prosecutors were Shawnette Austin and Seeta Bishundyal.