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33 cases disposed at April session of Demerara Criminal Assizes
…17 presented in the High Court
The Demerara High Court
Kaieteur News – Seventeen cases were presented in the High Court of the Demerara Criminal Assizes April session. During this assizes, the State disposed of thirty-three matters; 17 were presented in the High Court. Of these, 10 were for the offence of murder, one for attempt to commit murder and four for sexual offences. The remaining 18 matters were nolle prosequi by the DPP.
According to release from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the session was presided over by three judges, Justices Sandil Kissoon, Navindra Singh and Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
The release noted that there were four convictions, four verdicts of not guilty, five guilty pleas, two formal verdicts of not guilty and one mistrial.
Two matters are currently ongoing. A total of 18 accused appeared in these matters State Counsel Cicelia Corbin, Simran Gajraj, Rbina Christmas and Madana Rampersaud presented 10 matters before Justice Kissoon; nine for the offence of murder and one for attempt to commit murder.
ln three of the murder cases, the trial judge upheld no case submissions and directed the juries to return formal verdicts of not guilty; in another four, the accused all pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter and are awaiting sentence.
ln another case, the accused was acquitted by a unanimous jury verdict of not guilty.
Meanwhile, two matters are in progress.
ln the Sexual Offences Court, State Counsel Tiffini Lyken, Nafeeza Baig, and Praneeta Seeraj prosecuted four cases. ln two of these cases, the juries returned not guilty verdicts; in one other, the Court declared a mistrial and ordered the accused, who was charged with five counts of sexual offences to face a retrial after the jury failed to reach a decisive verdict. In the other one, the accused who was indicted on two counts, rape and assault causing grievous bodily harm was acquitted on the rape charge by a majority 10 to two jury verdict but was found unanimously guilty of assault causing grievous bodily harm. He is awaiting sentencing.
State Counsel Caressa Henry, Latiffa Elliot, Alicia Lowe and Mikel Puran completed one matter with three accused indicted together for the offence of murder before Justice Priya Beharry. All three accused were unanimously found guilty by the jury and will be sentenced on June 27, 2023.
Of the 18 matters nolle prosequi by the DPP, seven complainants submitted written statements that they did not wish to proceed with their cases; in two others, the accused had died while the nine other complainants could not be located.
Meanwhile, during the Berbice Criminal Assizes which commenced on February 7, 2023 108 cases were listed to be heard. State Counsel Mohamed Muntaz Ali presented nine matters before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall. There were five matters for the offence of murder, two for attempt to commit murder with alternative counts of wounding with intent and felonious wounding, one for the offence of manslaughter and one other for the offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm.
ln one of the murder cases with three accused who were indicted together, one pleaded guilty as charged and was sentenced to life imprisonment with possibility of parole after serving 25 years. The Trial Judge upheld no case submissions for the two co-accused and directed the jury to return formal verdicts of not guilty.
Additionally, in two separate cases the accused both pleaded guilty to murder, they are awaiting their sentences. While in two other cases, the accused both pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter and they too are awaiting their sentencing.
The two complainants in the matters for attempt to commit murder with alternative counts of wounding with intent and felonious wounding and one for inflicting grievous bodily harm, testified in Court they did not wish to proceed with their evidence and the trial judge directed the juries to return formal verdicts of not guilty. The accused in the one matter for the offence of manslaughter was acquitted by a jury verdict of not guilty.
The DPP nolle prosequi two matters because both accused died. The Berbice Criminal Assizes commences on June 20, 2023.
- Justices Sandil Kissoon, Navindra Singh and Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, the juries returned, these cases
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