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Montrose ‘granny’ killer appeals 100-year jail sentence
Collin Allen who was sentenced to 100 years in prison for the August 1, 2015 murder of 77-year-old Montrose, East Coast Demerara pensioner, Danrasie ‘Carmen’ Ganesh, is appealing his conviction and sentence. In documents filed at the Court of Appeal, Allen is arguing that not only was he subjected to an unfair trial before Justice Navindra Singh, but his sentence is excessive.
Murder convict: Collin Allen
In the legal documents, Allen said that prior to his incarceration he worked as a welder. He said that he has means of obtaining legal aid for himself and is not desirous of calling any witnesses at the hearing of his appeal. On February 26, Allen was handed the prison term after being found guilty by a jury for murder.
Justice Singh in imposing the sentence told Allen, also known as ‘Bonus’, “I don’t think a man like you should ever see daylight again.” But although the jury had delivered its verdict, Allen maintained his innocence. When asked by Justice Singh if he had anything to say, Allen said, “Me ain’t know about nothing. I was never there. Me ain’t kill nobody.”
“They say a picture is worth a 1000 words,” Justice Singh told Allen, as he made reference to CCTV footage retrieved from Ganesh’s home, which shows Allen attacking the elderly woman.
Murdered: Danrasie ‘Carmen’ Ganesh
State Prosecutors Tuanna Hardy, Abigail Gibbs and Teriq Mohammed submitted that Ganesh lived alone, and that on the day in question, she was visited at her Lot 121 Montrose, East Coast Demerara, where she lived alone, by an unwanted guest, Allen, who was unknown to her, entered her house as though he knew her, and murdered her.
In arriving at a sentence for Allen, Justice Singh commenced at a base of 60 years. In addition, to that, he added 10 years for premeditation; another 10 years. for excessive brutality in that Allen repeatedly stomped and kicked at the old woman who could not have posed a threat to him; a further 10 years was added since, according to Justice Singh, it was a murder for pay and another 10 years, given the woman’s age and the fact that she could have barely walked properly.
In the footage, which was tendered in court, Allen was seen hitting Ganesh repeatedly on the head with a tyre wrench, and kicking and stomping her. Then there was also a 14-page caution statement, which Allen gave to Police Sergeant Detective Rodwell Sarrabo, in which he admitted to being paid $700,000 to kill the woman, and that he gave all the monies to his mother who then left for Suriname.
Detectives testifying in the trial not only said that Allen made the statement freely and voluntarily, but also identified himself several times in the footage taken from CCTV cameras in and around the elderly woman’s residence.
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