Patricia Sanasie murder accused for High Court trial

May 17, 2016 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Richard Stanton has been committed to stand trial in the High Court for the murder of Patricia Sanasie who

For High Court trial: Richard Stanton

was shot dead last year January.

Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul, sitting in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, informed the accused in the presence of his attorney Mark Conway that a prima facie case had been made out against him to establish the offence of murder.
As such, the Magistrate told Stanton that he will face a Judge and Jury at the next sitting of the Demerara Assizes in July.
It is alleged that on January 12, 2015, at 129 Atlantic Gardens, East Coast Demerara, Stanton, 29, of Princes Street, Lodge, Georgetown, murdered Patricia Sanasie.
According to reports, the 45-year-old woman was riddled with bullets by gunmen clad in black. She was shot to the chest, abdomen, neck and groin. The shooting occurred almost a year after her husband survived a similar attempt on his life.
It was reported that Romona Sanasie, daughter of the deceased, positively identified Stanton as her mother’s killer. At the time of her mother’s death, the young woman was in the car with her mother.
During her ruling yesterday, the Magistrate underscored that the case is clearly one of identification. She related that Romona Sanasie identified Stanton as the one who shot and killed her mother, three months after the incident.

Murdered: Patricia Senasie

The Magistrate added that it was left up to the court to decide whether Romona Sanasie correctly identified Stanton as the person who fatally shot her mother. She highlighted that during the preliminary inquiry there was evidence to support that the incident occurred at night. She said that Romona Sanasie, during her testimony told the court that she had looked at the shooter for about 10 seconds, because he was standing in front of her while her car light was shining on him.
According to the Magistrate, “She (Romona Sanasie) said that he (Stanton) was wearing a transparent blue rag covering his lips and chin. She said that two times he looked directly at her and they made eye contact, and then three months later, Romona Sanasie went on an ID parade… and on that ID parade she picked out the accused, Richard Stanton as the person who shot and killed her mother.”
Magistrate Ally-Seepaul pointed out that issues pertaining to inconsistencies and discrepancies in the evidence will be for a jury to determine. She stated Romona Sanasie provided an explanation for every inconsistency put to her. She added that it will also be left up to a jury to determine who to believe, where her evidence contradicts the evidence of other witnesses in the matter.
At an earlier court hearing, Stanton’s attorney had made a compelling application for the charge against his client to be withdrawn. He had contended that there was not enough identification evidence. The lawyer had pointed out that the police had provided a vague description of the person who allegedly killed Patricia Sanasie.
When called on to put forward his case, Stanton informed the court that he will reserve his defence for the High Court. (Feona Morrison)