'Monster' gets 18 years for killing wife

‘Monster’ gets 18 years for killing wife

Oct 13, 2010 News

By Latoya Giles

Fisherman and father of five, Chetram Singh, 45, called ‘Monster’ who pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter on Monday, last, was yesterday sentenced to 18 years imprisonment as the matter concluded before Justice Winston Patterson.
Singh, of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, was charged with the February 6, 2007 murder of his wife, Eileen Lall.
Attorney at law Hukumchand, in mitigation, pleaded with the court to be lenient with Singh. The lawyer told the court that his client had not wasted the court’s time, and was fully admitting to the offence.
He said Singh had admitted and had told the police that he worked very hard and he had accused his wife of being unfaithful.
According to the lawyer, his client had gone to his wife’s house on the day in question and was verbally abused by her. He said in some way his wife’s reaction might have caused him to become enraged.
Hukumchand in his 30-minute address to the court said that his client’s action could never be justified. The lawyer also cited various cases in support of his quest for a small sentence.

Chetram Singh

“I am by no means justifying what he did…but as a man your wife is your prized possession and he felt that he was losing her,” the lawyer explained.
Hukumchand said that even during the short trial, his own sister-in-law described him as a very “good and easy going person”.
He urged the court to take into consideration that the marriage produced five children, two of whom are minors.
The lawyer argued that his client was still a member of society and has contributed meaningfully.
Furthermore he asked the court to take note of the four years his client has already spent in jail.
State Prosecutors Judith Gildaire-Mursalin and Shivannie Balchran diligently represented the state.
In handing down the sentence, Justice Patterson congratulated the defence counsel on a well put forward mitigation.
He said that the time spent in jail had been noted. Justice Patterson also said that his age and his criminal record had also been taken into consideration. Singh had never been charged prior to this matter.
Justice Patterson then sentenced the accused to an 18-year sentence.
During the trial Singh’s sister-in-law Anita Lall had given evidence-in-chief about the matter.
She told the court that she and her sister were visiting relatives on the day in question when the accused came to the location. Lall said that her sister had to hide in a cupboard when her husband arrived at the house.
The sister-in-law eventually managed to calm Singh down, and told him that she was going to bring her sister home a little later.
In her testimony she said that she took her sister home and locked the front gate behind her.
A neighbour Bibi Shakoor had testified to hearing screams coming from the woman’s house.
She also heard the couple’s younger children screaming. Shakoor said when she looked out through a window she saw Singh with a bloodied knife in his hand and almost his entire body was drenched in blood.
The couple’s son, Ramdat Singh, had testified that he saw his father running towards him with a “shiny object” which appeared to be a knife. He also stated that his father had always threatened to kill the entire family, so he started to run.
He said he later learnt that his father had stabbed his mother. He immediately rushed to the Providence Police Station where officers told him that they had received the report.
The woman was later rushed to the Georgetown Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
The husband was found two days later in West Bank Demerara behind his aunt’s house.
He was arrested and taken to the La Grange Police Station, where he admitted to killing his wife. The bloodied knife was also found in his possession.
A post mortem examination preformed by the Government Pathologist showed that the woman died from ‘perforation of the lung and kidney due to stab wounds’.