–on day father was murdered

THE prosecution’s star witness took to the stand on Monday as the Boxing Day Skull City murder trial continues in the Georgetown High Court before Justice Sandil Kissoon.

Zalena Ramsundar, daughter of the deceased, testified that on December 26, 2014, she was selling at the roadside stand belonging to her mother when she witnessed her dad, Sunil Ramsundar, being attacked by both accuseds.

Now 17-plus, Zalena, who was 14 when the incident occurred, told the court in her teary-eyed evidence-in-chief that the number one accused, Vaswantie Ragnauth, called “Shelly”, is her father’s sister, while the number two accused, Nyron Thakurdyal, is the woman’s husband.

She identified both parties as being seated in the courtroom, and stated that prior to the Boxing Day incident, she had known the number two, as he lived with his wife in a yard behind their house.

The teenager recalled that on the night of the murder, she and her father were sitting at the stand talking when they observed her sister, Naldo (only name given), crying in the passageway.

Zalena Ramsundar told the court that her father went to Naldo to enquire why she was crying, and that whatever it was she told him caused him to quarrel and say, “Why Nyron had to beat my daughter!”

The witness stated that no sooner had her father said so, than “Shelly” came out, and the two of them got into an argument.

Zalena Ramsundar said she took her father back to the stand, while a sister of his named Chano (only name given), came out and took Naldo away.

She said they all eventually went home, but her dad was so incensed over the matter that he came back out and started to quarrel all over again.

It was at this point, she said, that the number one accused, “Shelly”, came back out and she and the deceased had a “scramble”.

She said her father, the deceased Sunil Ramsundar, somehow managed to hold on to both of the number one accused’s hands, and in the ensuing scuffle the woman’s husband, The number two accused Nyron Thakurdyal, came out and held the deceased from behind.

Zalena Ramsundar told the court that while her father was sandwiched between the two accuseds, she saw the number one, “Shelly”, appear to be cuffing him, and distinctly heard him say, “Shelly! Watch wah yuh doing meh, gyal!”

At this point the number two, Nyron Thakurdyal, replied, “Is not Shelly alone!” and began striking the deceased in a similar cuffing motion.

The witness stated that after a few minutes had elapsed, a little boy came running past her saying, “Dem bore up yuh father!” And as she went to his aid, she saw him bracing on a fence, his jersey soaked in blood, and immediately began to scream.

POLICE WITNESS
Constable Alex Solomon also took the stand on Monday morning, when he testified that on December 26, 2014, he was stationed at the Wales Police Station and was standing in the said compound when he saw a car drive in.

He stated that he recognised the man at the wheel as Lance Corporal Benjamin Dufu, and based on what he told him as he exited the vehicle, he, Solomon, went to it and on opening the rear door saw two persons of East Indian descent seated inside.

Having been told their names, Solomon said
he asked the two persons to exit the vehicle, and as he was directing them into the station, the number one accused reached under her clothes and pulled out what appeared to be a knife.

Solomon said he immediately took possession of the brown-handled stainless-steel knife, and escorted the couple into the station where he handed them over to one Constable Bennett.

The cop testified that he went to Skull City, which is located in Patentia on the West Bank of Demerara, to verify the story that Lance Corporal Dufu had told him, and upon arrival there, began questioning several persons. He next went to the West Demerara Regional Hospital at Best, on the West Coast of Demerara, and was told that a man had been admitted but had died.

Solomon said he would later learn that the man who had died was Sunil Ramsundar, which information he later passed on to the court superintendent.

That done, he next escorted Ramsundar’s body to the Ezekiel Funeral Parlour nearby for storage, and returned to the Wales Police Station, where he contacted Constable Bennett and gave him an update on the matter.

The police witness told the court he then, in the presence of both the accuseds, placed his initials and date on the knife he had taken from the number one and lodged it for safekeeping.

An application was made by the state for the witness to be shown the knife in question, and he positively identified it as the one he had tendered at the Magistrates’ Court.

Next on the stand was Sergeant Krishendat Singh, who testified that as the leading investigator in the alleged murder, he had visited the crime scene and spoken to the daughter of the deceased, Zalena Ramsundar.

The police witness related that he also contacted both accused and put the allegation of murder to them after which they were cautioned.

Singh said the number one accused told him, “Sir, me and Sunil pull one another; meh nah know how he get bore. Nyron part we.”

Sergeant Singh noted that she refused to give a written statement.

The police witness then put the allegation to the number two accused, and he told him, “Offisah! Me nor Vaswantie nah murder he; me push dem way!” He, too, declined to make a written statement.

Sergeant Singh related that he witnessed the post-mortem performed by Dr. Vivekanand Brijmohan and lodged the PM report which was tendered as evidence in the trial.

This police witness told the court that he had told both accused of his intention to hold a confrontation on December 27, 2014, with the daughter of the deceased, but they both refused to cooperate.

The two accused appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon in the Georgetown High Court following the opening of the June Criminal Assizes, and pleaded “Not Guilty” to the December 26, 2014 murder at Patentia, West Bank Demerara.

The state is being led by prosecutor Lisa Cave in association with Orinthia Schmidt, while the defence attorney is Nigel Hughes.