SIX years after the fatal shooting of the owner of Regent Multiplex Mall, Ganesh Boyo’ Ramlall during a robbery at his La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara (WCD) home, his killer was sentenced to 23 years imprisonment on Monday.

Earlier this month, Kurt ‘Banana’ Erskine was found guilty of manslaughter, after being on trial before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall and a 12-member jury at the Demerara High Court for the capital offence of murder.

During the course of the hearing, Erskine denied killing Ramlall on the night of July 5, 2015 during a robbery at his West Demerara home, and sought the services of Attorney-at-Law Lyndon Amsterdam to speak on his behalf.

The State, on the other hand, relied on
Special Prosecutors Konyo Sandiford and Narissa Leander to present its case.

During the sentencing hearing, a probation report was read in court by the relevant statutory officer, who said that Erskine not only denied committing the offence, but expressed remorse that a life had been lost.

“The accused stated that the death of the deceased was shameful, senseless and foolish; that he is a father, and is absent from the lives of his children and wife due to his incarceration,” the probation officer said, adding: “The accused said that he is aware of the hurt and pain the deceased’s daughter is experiencing, owing to the fact that her father will be absent from significant and memorable occasions in her life, such as her graduation or marriage.”

The deceased’s wife, Chitrakha, to whom Erskine also apologised, read from her Impact Statement, detailing how his criminal actions have not only resulted in the loss of her “beloved husband”, but also affected her life.

“My husband knew me so well, he never put me in those situations,” Chitrakha said, adding: “He also protected, sheltered, loved and cared for me; his presence was my safe haven. It breaks my heart to know that today, when I speak, it is because I am pleading for justice for his life; justice for my late husband, our hero, Ganesh Ramlall.”

While fighting back tears, the grieving widow said, “This accused and the others who planned and executed the robbery with him are all responsible for all the sufferings my family and I have endured. They trespassed into our home, and they breached every bit of sanctity, safety and peace there is. My husband was innocent; he worked very hard, and earned an honest living from scratch. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t weep for my husband.”

In detailing some of the adverse affects Erskine’s greed has had on her life, Mrs. Ramlall said: “I have even developed anxiety and insomnia; some nights I get up feeling suffocated, and my heart races…The extent of my trauma and emotional damage I have sustained cannot possibly be measured in words.”

According to the grieving woman, since her husband’s gruesome death, she has found it difficult to communicate with her daughter, who has become so withdrawn, she is now unable to trust people and let them into her personal space.

“I lost my husband; it felt soul-wrenching to lose his accomplishments. Yet, it hurts every day that I did, because he should have been here; he always knew what to do… I do not think I will ever be able to find peace and recover from the emotional and mental suffering that the criminal actions of this accused have caused me,” Chitrakha Ramlall said.

During Monday’s sentencing hearing, the defence counsel made his plea of mitigation in favour of his client; he also asked the court to consider that his client can be rehabilitated.

Special Prosecutor Sandiford, on the other hand, asked the court to send a strong message to deter Erskine and other like-minded persons from contemplating similar crimes.

She also asked the court to consider the nature, gravity and prevalence of the crime.

The judge, during her sentencing remarks, said that she considered the seriousness of the offence, the impact on the deceased’s family, among other factors.

In the end, the judge sentenced Erskine to 23 years, and ordered prison authorities to deduct the time he has already spent on remand.

Erskine’s co-accused, Fezeel Bacchus, was released from prison because of the time he was incarcerated while awaiting trial. He, too, had opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

On February 28, 2022, Bacchus was sentenced to six-and-a-half years for his role in the fatal shooting. He was released from prison the following day, due to his being on remand since July 2015.

Bacchus testified on behalf of the State in Erskine’s trial.

Another co-accused, Lennox ‘Soldier Man’ Roberts had pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. On March 17, he was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment.

According to reports, the businessman had just returned home and proceeded to use the outside bathroom when he was confronted by four men who shot him about his body and relieved him of his licensed firearm, jewellery and wallet.

It was also reported that after Ramlall saw the gunmen approaching him, he’d raised an alarm, and called out to his relatives to secure the house.

The bandits successfully escaped. Ramlall was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Days later, police arrested Bacchus, who confessed to being the getaway driver.