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Drinking buddies murder trial accused pleaded guilty
Dharampaul Gopaul, called ‘Pauline Gulliver’, 47, of Side Line Dam, Port Mourant, Corentyne who is on trial for
Dharampaul Gopaul
the murder of Mukesh Gopaul, called ‘Muca’, on February 6, 2009 at 52, Side Line Dam, Port Mourant, Corentyne Berbice, changed his plea from not guilty of murder to guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.
Gopaul’s plea change was made before Justice James Bovell-Drakes and a mixed jury. When proceedings began, the defence indicated to the court that they want to take a certain course of action.
The Prosecuting Attorney is Ms. Renita Singh, while the defence Attorney is Kim Kyte-John in association with Tanya Warren-Clements.
Prosecutor Renita Singh told the court that on the day in question three men including the accused and deceased were at the home of the accused drinking rum.
She said that some time later Gopaul’s mother stated that her son spent her pension money to buy rum. This led to a quarrel between the two men. Mukesh pushed Gopaul who in turn pushed him back.
She said that about the same time one Judia Griffith was going to her farm at Portuguese Quarters when she heard the three men quarrelling. She decided to stop and she heard Gopaul repeatedly telling Mukesh, ‘Wha you want a gon give yo.’ He then picked up a cutlass which was on the step nearby, told Mukesh “Me go ge you wa you want” before chopping him on the neck.
Mukesh fell and was then picked up by Gopaul and Seenarine and rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital and was subsequently transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he succumbed.
Gopaul was later arrested at his home and charged with the capital offence. He admitted to the offence, but told investigators that the man struck him first. He also admitted that the fight began after he, Gopaul, verbally abused his mother and was spoken to by the deceased. The murder weapon was also found in the yard with what appeared to be blood stains.
The post mortem examination was performed by Doctor Vivekanand Brijmohan who gave the cause of death as shock and haemorrhage due to an incised wound.
In a plea of mitigation Attorney at Law Kyte-John asked the court to be lenient with the accused and temper justice with mercy. She said that alcohol was to be blamed for what transpired. She alluded to the fact that the information also came out from the prosecution’s case.
She said that it was a case of unfortunate circumstances in which the accused never intended to kill or cause bodily harm to Mukesh. She said that only one chop was inflicted. “It was the deceased that started the entire thing by shoving the accused”. “She said that the accused has been in custody for five years and eight months. He even assisted in taking the deceased to hospital.
Justice Bovell-Drakes ordered that the probation report be presented and he set November 19 for sentencing.
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