THREE years after Hafeeza Rohoman was beaten and left to drown in a canal at Helena, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD), her 36-year-old boyfriend was, on Thursday, December 12, 2019, sentenced to 28 years’ imprisonment, after he confessed to the gruesome crime.

Lakeram Harinarine called ‘Ricky,’ formerly of Helena Mahaica, ECD, was charged with the capital offence. However, he opted to plead guilty to manslaughter, before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow, at the Demerara High Court.

Harinarine admitted that, between January 7, 2016, and January 10, 2016, at Helena, Mahaica, ECD, he unlawfully killed Rohoman.
According to reports, Rohoman was frequently abused by her boyfriend Harinarine, whom she lived with.

On January 7, 2016, it is alleged that Rohoman had opted to exit the relationship and was going back to live with her reputed husband and child.

Consequently, Harinarine became angry and armed himself with a bicycle bar with which he allegedly struck Rohoman to the head; as a result, Rohoman fell into the canal and drowned. Her body was later fished out of the canal, on January 10, 2016.
A post-mortem revealed that the woman died of drowning and trauma to the head.
The Judge sentenced Harinarine to 28 years’ imprisonment, which is to be reduced by one third, due to his guilty plea.

For the time he spent in pre-trial custody, 3 years 10 months and 24 days were deducted from his sentence.

The Judge ordered that Harinarine be exposed to counselling while in prison.