By Gabriella Chapman

ON Thursday, August 2, 2018, Sudesh Rambhajue left the Georgetown High Court with a broad smile, after being declared “not guilty” of charges for alternative counts.

Rambhajue stood before Justice Brassington Reynolds to face charges on the alternative counts; attempt to commit murder and felonious wounding in attempt to cause grievous bodily harm, allegedly committed on the 18th day of September 2015, against his father-in-law, Latchman Narine Persaud.

The state prosecutor Seeta Bishundial, brought before the court four witnesses, to testify in assisting in the jury’s decision. They were: Sherwin Greene, Detective Constable from Leonora Police Station, assigned to the Criminal Investigation Department, Latchman Narine Persaud, the victim of the alleged crime and Moohmatti Persaud, wife of Latchman Narine Persaud and the doctor that first attended the victim.

In the victim’s testimony, he stated that the accused resided in the bottom flat of his home along with his daughter to whom the accused was married. He added that the accused had a drinking problem and he was never employed and made no financial contributions to his residence.

He stated that on the afternoon of September 18th, 2015, he returned home from his farm, parked his bike and he saw his son-in-law on the road. He told him he didn’t want him in the yard and as he was heading to lock the gate, Sudesh ran into him and stabbed him in the lower right of his abdomen.

Latchman said he started screaming for his wife, “dis bai bore meh. Hire one car quick.” He felt his belly burning him. He told the court that the accused “rushed into me like one bad bull” and he didn’t notice a knife in his hand. He also said that Rambhajue threatened to burn the house down.

Rambhajue led his defense since he explained to the court that he was not in a financial position to afford legal representation. His testimony was quite contradictory to that of the victim. He stated that he and his wife resided in the bottom flat of the victim’s house for over 10 years and he was always disliked by his in laws. He explained that on September 18th 2015 he was armed with a knife only because he was peeling golden apple and eating while he was walking home.

While approaching the gate of his home, Rambhajue said he was attacked and lashed with a wood by his father-in- law. It was then the father- in -law saw the knife in his hand and tried to retrieve it, and the two were tugging and pulling with the knife and it accidentally bored Latchman in his abdomen.

After two hours of deliberation, the 12-member jury found Sudesh Rambhajue not guilty of the charges against him.

Justice Reynolds stated this was a close call for Rambhajue and he accepted and respected the judgment of the jury. He urged Rambhajue to use this opportunity to make the best of his life, starting first by getting an honest job and keeping a distance between him and his in-laws.