Sarah Johanna murder accused found not guilty

Jan 31, 2017 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Seven years after he was charged with fatally stabbing a man at Sarah Johanna, East Bank Demerara, Antonio Jaisingh, was yesterday acquitted of murder.

Freed: Antonio Jaisingh

He walked free after a mixed jury found him not guilty of murder and manslaughter.
According to the charge Jaisingh between November 26 and November 27, 2010 murdered Randy Joseph, at Sarah Johanna, East Bank Demerara (EBD). The accused and the deceased were reportedly involved in a heated altercation at a bar in the area.
Jaisingh faced a trial before Justice Navindra Singh and a mixed jury at the Georgetown Supreme Court. During the trial, nine witnesses were called to the stand by State Lawyers, Siand Dhurjon and Tuanna Hardy.
However the eyewitness in the matter, Dameon Ramgulan, changed his statement while on the stand in the High Court. Ramgulan recanted his initial story that he had seen the accused shove Joseph who fell to the ground and that there was blood under him.
Ramgulan told the court that he had previously lied. He claimed that the police had beaten him to tell them the story.
The witness is currently under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department for Perjury.
In his Caution Statement, the accused who was represented by Attorney Latchmi Rahamat said he was at a bar drinking when the victim attacked him and pulled out a knife.
He said that he therefore defended himself.