Trio gets life sentence for murdering Soesdyke-Highway vendor

Jul 21, 2023 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Kaieteur News – Fifty-year-old Chandrapaul Persaud, also called ‘Raju’ or ‘Duffy’; 61-year-old Harrilall Ramdhan, also called ‘Baba’ or ‘Roshan’; and 36-year-old Jageshwar Ghanie, also called ‘Toto’, were yesterday sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2017 murder of the Soesdyke/Linden Highway vendor, Dhanpaul Dookie, called ‘Pauline.’

Jailed, Chandrapaul Persaud, also called ‘Raju’ or ‘Duffy’

Jailed, Jageshwar Ghanie, also called ‘Toto’

Last month, the trio was found guilty by a 12-member jury that was empanelled for the murder trial. The jury returned with three guilty verdicts for the capital offence. The three accused had denied the charge which stated that between July 24 and 27, 2017, at Uitspa Village in the Demerara River, they murdered Dookie. The 51-year-old vendor was reportedly stabbed to death during a robbery.

On Thursday, their sentence was handed down by Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry in the Demerara High Court. According to report, Dookie’s body was found with multiple stab wounds on Thursday, July 27, 2017. It is believed that he was killed three days earlier. The vendor was stabbed twice to his abdomen, one time each on his lower back, hip, forehead, and above his right eye. It was stated that after committing the act, the trio raided the vendor’s home, carting off with cash, jewellery and other items, before escaping.

Jailed, Harrilall Ramdhan, also called ‘Baba’ or ‘Roshan’

The State Prosecutor asked the court to consider the aggravating factors, and to send a strong message to like-minded offenders. The court heard that the trio premeditated to rob and murder Dookie after seeing him with a large stack of $5000 bills. The court heard that the men bought ‘high wine’ to imbibe while waiting on the place to get dark before they attacked Dookie.

It was stated that the men were armed with knives and an axe. After invading Dookie’s home, one of the accused reportedly used the axe to lash Dookie to the back of his head after he refused to tell them where the money was hidden. They then inflicted more wounds to Dookie before escaping.

Notably, Ramdhan was reportedly committed the crime of murdering Dookie while he was on bail for attempted murder. In her sentencing remarks the judge stated that the aggravating factors far outweigh the mitigating factors which are of minimal effect. She considered that the men premeditated the crime, noting that they burned Dookie’s phone, their bloody clothes and washed the weapons to destroy evidence.

She added that the three accused while robbing Dookie bludgeoned and stabbed him repeatedly causing him to die, and the sentencing must reflect the gravity of the crime. Notably, the judge also considered the men good behaviour while in prison, the fact that they were not previously convicted and that they cooperated with the police. Justice Sewnarine-Beharry then sentenced the men to life imprisonment and noted that Ramdhan and Persaud are to serve 30 years behind bars before they are eligible for parole. The judge said too that given his age and genuine remorse, Ghanie is eligible for parole after serving 25 years.

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also called ‘Baba’ or ‘Roshan’, also called ‘Raju’ or ‘Duffy’, Chandrapaul Persaud, Harrilall Ramdhan, jailed

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