Mother-in-law, four accomplices jailed in $7M armed robbery

Jul 25, 2014 News

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By Sunita Samaroo
The mother-in-law of a prominent businessman, who orchestrated an armed home invasion where bandits tormented her daughter and grandchildren, and threatened to kill them, has been jailed along with her nephew and three other accomplices.

On July 12, 2011, armed bandits went to the home of businessman Malcolm Panday, and held his wife Anne Ramsood and their two and four-year-old sons at gunpoint before making off with over $7M in cash and valuables.
The mastermind behind the robbery was identified as the businessman’s 52-year-old mother-in-law Chandrada ‘Sandra’ Rampersaud.
Investigations revealed that Rampersaud, who was once employed at the home as a housekeeper, but was fired, had told a cousin about the money the Pandays kept in the house.
On that day, the bandits had forced their way into Panday’s home, placed the family along with their maids to sit on the ground, while they inquired about cash and valuables.
After scaring the persons with weapons, the bandits were led to the booty. The men then made off with the family’s belongings.
However, the businessman, who owns a chain of clothing stores, managed to slip away to a neighbour’s home and summoned the police.
Responding, the police chased the bandits and intercepted them at the Ocean Spray Hotel where they opened fire on seeing police ranks.
After a short stand-off the suspects were detained. Investigations led officers to implicate several persons.
Aubrey Simon was the registered owner of one of the vehicles that the police towed away from the hotel compound.
Persaud had acted in concert with her nephew Hardat Kumar of Owen Street, Kitty; Jermaine Mitchell of YY 15 North East La Penitence; Rabindra Seemangal of Lot 100 Sheriff Street; Aubrey Simon of 1414 Princes Street and Rayon Jones of Lot 2 Hardina Street, Wortmanville and they have been found guilty of the crime.
Initially charged along with the five on July 15, 2011 for robbery under arms was ex-policeman Sean Hinds.
It was alleged that on July 12, at Bel Air they robbed Anne Ramsood of $7.4M property of Malcolm Panday.
Another charge stated that Mitchell, Seemangal, Simon and Jones robbed Ramsood of one Blackberry curve cell phone valued at $47,000 and $380,000 cash.
A separate charge against Aubrey Simon and Jermaine Mitchell stated that on July 12, they had in their possession one unlicenced 9mm pistol and eight rounds of matching ammunition.
It was further alleged that Simon fraudulently used identification mark PKK 3700, on a motorcar.
The accused had denied the claims but during the course of the trial Seemangal changed his plea and was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on each charge.
Meanwhile, charges against ex-policeman Sean Hinds were withdrawn following recommendations coming out of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) which indicated that there was insufficient evidence to prove a case against Hinds.
Following the closure of the Prosecution’s case by Special Prosecutor Attorney at Law Glenn Hanoman, the Chief Magistrate ruled that after examining the evidence before her, the court had found the accused guilty of the charges instituted against them.
The court had subsequently engaged the quintet in mitigation on Wednesday.
Responding to Mitchell’s request for his lawyer to mitigate on his behalf, the Chief Magistrate had remanded the convicts to prison until yesterday.
During sentencing, Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry stated that in addition to the factors raised during mitigation she had considered aggravating factors as well.
The court revealed that it had mulled over the prevalence of armed robbery in Guyana; that a gun was used in the commission of this robbery and that threats were made to “blow-off” Ramsood’s head if she had made any sound.
She said too that threats were made to shoot the children who were of tender age.
Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry stated that she had also considered that a lethal weapon was used and there was clear intention to use the firearm. She mentioned too that it was discharged.
The court, she said, had considered that over $7M was stolen and that the lot had acted in concert: carefully planning the robbery.
She stressed that it was an armed robbery planned by adults and there was a need for the courts to make it pellucid that acts of armed robberies will not be allowed.
For Mitchell, she noted that it was a serious amount of cash, that he was 27-years-old, had spent five months on remand and had previously been convicted. She gave thought also to the fact that he has one child, a minor.
The court noted that Simon, who had no prior convictions, had acted with others and helped them escape. She stated that he had used fake number plates to avoid being caught and that he had spent three months as a remanded prisoner.
Addressing Jones, Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry said that the court had noted his role in the robbery; that he had acted as a lookout when the Panday’s home was invaded.
She gave thought too that he has a pending charge before the courts for receiving stolen property but had no prior conviction as well as the fact that he had spent one month as a remanded prisoner. The Magistrate noted that he had a 6-month-old child.
For Kumar, the court revealed that consideration was given to the fact that the crime was a premeditated and a “well orchestrated” plan of armed robbery.
She said that Kumar was the Ramsood’s first cousin and he had breached her trust by participating in a crime which used a lethal weapon and endangered his relatives’ lives.
The court noted that he was unremorseful and he had two prior convictions for perverting the course of justice as well as the fact that he had spent five and a half months as a remanded prisoner.
Affixing her eyes on Rampersaud, the Chief Magistrate remarked that she was the mother of the victim and the grandmother of the two children. She said that the accused had planned the crime and placed them all at risk. She considered that Rampersaud was unremorseful and had spent 6 months on remand as well as the fact that she has a 17-year-old daughter who is depending on her.
The Chief Magistrate then sentenced each of the accused to four years’ imprisonment on each of the robbery under arms charges. She instructed that those charges will run concurrently.
Mitchell, who was found guilty, on firearm and ammunition charges, was sentenced to four years imprisonment; a jail term he will serve consecutively with the other.
Simon she addressed as the “abscond gentleman” since he had been absent at many of the court hearings. He will serve the four years on the robbery under arms charge.
In his absence, he was fined $1M and imprisonment for the charge of using false licence plates.
As soon as she received the Magistrates’ ruling Rampersaud wept loudly all the way from the courtroom. She was not the only one who became emotional over the ruling. The victims were also brought to tears.
Speaking with Kaieteur News, Panday and his wife told reporters that his family is still traumatized by the incident and that they are pleased that the justice system “worked this time.”
Ramsood stated that she is satisfied with the Magistrate’s ruling and expressed hope that this would not be repeated with any other family. “What my mother did was very bad and that hurt me and my family.”
“A mother who gave birth to children would not want to hurt them. We are still traumatized and fearful because of what happened,” she lamented.

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