Phone found guilty of manslaughter in Black Bush truck driver trial…Sentencing deferred

May 15, 2019 News

Murder accused, Navendra Basdeo, called ‘Phone’, 24, of 14 Johanna North, Black Bush Polder,who was on trial for the unlawful killing of Karan

Dead: Karran sukhdeo

Sukhdeo was on Tuesday found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter.
Basdeo was on trial in the Berbice High Court before Justice Jo Ann Barlow and a mixed Jury. He killed Sukhdeo, called “Vishal”, 30, a truck driver and father of one, of 101 Johanna North, Black Bush Polder on Saturday August 23, 2014.
Attorney at law Mursalene Bacchus is appearing for the accused in association with attorney at Law Surihya Sabsook.
State Prosecutor Mandel Moore is presenting the state’s case.
The incident reportedly occurred around 23:45 hrs at Johanna North, Black Bush Polder. Basdeo and Sukhdeo had an altercation at a wedding house at Black Bush Polder, Corentyne Berbice.

Murder accused: Navendra basdeo

When the matter continued Justice Barlow summed up the evidence to the jury. She directed them on the issues of the law. The judge cited a number of inconsistencies during the trial.
The jury after their deliberation at first had a not guilty verdict on the question of murder. On the question of manslaughter they returned with an 11-1 verdict of guilty.
Defence lawyer Bacchus then asked for an adjournment for a probation report which was granted by Justice Barlow.
Mr. Bacchus had submitted that there were many omissions and inconsistencies in the prosecution case.
Ganesh Sookdeo, who testified to seeing the accused stabbing his brother, gave four statements, but never mentioned in any who stabbed his brother.
There was a period of 23 minutes, in which no one would have seen the deceased after the incident. Government Pathologist Dr. Vivekanand Brijmohan testified that from the injuries received the deceased would have died instantly.
However Ganesh testified that his brother ran 300M before he collapsed.
Ganesh also testified that his brother was found about nine minutes after the incident. He and the others left and went home to get his parents. He returned to the scene about 15 minutes later. There was no evidence as to what happen during those 15 minutes. Prosecutor Moore in the submission relied on the evidence of the prosecution witnesses. He said that there was a scuffle between the accused and the deceased. The deceased was injured on his left side which was confirmed by the doctor.
Navendra Basdeo gave an unsworn statement from the dock in which he denied killing anybody.
Government Pathologist Dr. Brijmohan testified to conducting a Post Mortem examination on the body of Sukdeo at the New Amsterdam Hospital and gave the cause of death as multiple injuries. He received stab wounds in the region of the heart and about the body.
Testifying during the trial were the brother of the deceased, Ganesh Sookdeo; the father Deochand Sookdeo; his mother Yowattie Hardat, Rice farmer Hemchamd Budhoo at whose place the weeding was being held; Rajendra Ragnauth who was a member of a search party, the brother of the accused Vishnu Basdeo; and two cousins Harold and Tameshwar.

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