2014 Boxing Day murder trial begins

Jun 07, 2018 News

Nyron Thakurdyal

The trial of Vishwantie Ragnauth and her reputed husband Nyron Thakurdyal commenced yesterday afternoon before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court in Georgetown.
The couple is accused of the 2014 Boxing Day murder of Ragnauth’s uncle, 39-year-old Sunil Ramsundar, at Patentia, West Bank Demerara.
They have pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.
In her opening remarks, Prosecutor Orinthia Schmidt told the court that Ramsundar is an uncle of Ragnauth, the number one accused in the murder trial.
The Prosecutor said that on the day in question, there was a family problem which resulted in an altercation between Ramsundar and his niece.
According to the prosecutor, Ragnauth held onto her uncle, while her reputed husband stabbed him with a knife. Ramsundar was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Police Constable Bennett was the last witness to take the stand yesterday. He told the court that during December 2014 he was stationed at the Wales Police Station where he performed duties in the General Duties Section. He said that on December 27, he was at the station when one Constable Solomon brought the couple into custody.
According to the police witness, he put a murder allegation to Ragnauth to which she replied, “Police Officer is just a lil cuff.”
The witness recalled that another allegation was put to Thakurdyal who replied, “Big man me just part.”
Questioned by Prosecutor Schmidt, to describe the demeanour of the two murder accused while they were in police custody, Constable Bennett said that both of them appeared nervous.
During cross examination by Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes, who has been retained by the two accused, Constable Bennett was asked if Thakurdyal said, “Big man me just part them.”
In response, the witness maintained that the murder accused did not utter those words. At this point, Hughes asked the witness if he wished to be refreshed from a statement he gave to police just after putting the allegation to the couple.
After perusing the statement, Constable Bennett agreed with counsel that Thakurdyal told him, “Big man me just part them” and not “Big man me just part.”
The jury foreman then sought to question Constable Bennett on whether he asked the murder accused to explain what he meant by “Big man me just part them.” The witness replied in the negative.
A Detective Police Sergeant told the court that on December 27, 2014, he was on duty at the Wales Police Station, West Bank Demerara, when he was instructed to visit the scene of the alleged murder.
The witness further told the court that he took photographs of certain areas of the scene, upon instructions from his superior.
The three photographs were later tendered, admitted and marked as exhibits in the trial. The Sergeant of Police is presently stationed at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Headquarters and is attached to the Crime Scene Investigation Unit.
This trial continues this afternoon.

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