A 38-year-old man, was, on Wednesday, sentenced to 12 years in prison for the death of his 77-year-old mother, Jagranie Ramotar.
Totoram Lalta of Adelphi Village, East Canje Berbice, last month appeared before Justice Simone Ramlall at the Berbice High Court, where he pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter after initially being indicted for murder.

During the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, Lalta’s sister delivered an impact statement in court, pleading for leniency on behalf of her brother. She expressed forgiveness, stating, “I know in his heart he didn’t mean to do it.”
Lalta’s attorney, Surihya Sabsook, also requested leniency from the court and disclosed her client’s remorse and potential for rehabilitation.

However, State Prosecutor, Muntaz Ali, revealed that Lalta had a history of assaulting his mother, with a previous conviction for attacking her.
Ali informed the court that Lalta’s actions were unprovoked and reckless at the time of the incident, urging the court to consider the severity of the case.

In her sentencing remarks, Justice Morris-Ramlall highlighted the breach of trust committed by Lalta against his mother, who had nurtured and cared for him.
She added that parents deserve to be honoured and cared for, particularly in their later years. The judge noted that Lalta’s behaviour went against this trust and involved a pattern of abuse, with several police reports documenting his mistreatment of his mother.

Considering all the evidence presented, the judge sentenced Lalta to 12 years in prison, with credit given for the time he had already spent in custody.
According to reports, on the night of October 19, 2019, Lalta had been drinking with a friend and returned home the following morning to find his mother in the kitchen. In a fit of anger, he repeatedly slapped her and forcefully pushed her, causing her to fall and hit her head.

Realising that his mother was bleeding from her nose, Lalta left the scene and went outside. The woman was subsequently taken to New Amsterdam Hospital on October 14, 2019, and later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where she remained as a patient until November 6, 2019.

She was then transferred back to the New Amsterdam Hospital. Tragically, on November 14, 2019, she passed away at her home while still in an unconscious state. A post-mortem examination conducted after her death revealed that she had suffered a chronic subdural hematoma resulting from blunt trauma to the head.