Man on trial for Mayaro murder

A 24-YEAR-OLD man went on trial yesterday in the San Fernando High Court for allegedly murdering a man at a Mayaro guest house two years ago.

Ryan Ramsaroop is before Justice Alice Yorke Soo Hon in the Second Criminal Assizes and State attorney Narissa Ramsundar is leading the prosecution’s case. Ramsundar opened the case before the 12-member jury, stating that on April 14, 2001, Ramesh Maharaj was fatally shot in his head at Moonan’s Guest House, Beaumont Road, Mayaro. Ramsundar said around 9.30 pm on that date, the victim and his cousin Rasheed Nandlal, were inside the house when two men stormed the premises, one wielding a cutlass and the other a gun. The assailants fired one shot to Maharaj’s head, killing him instantly.

They then taped Nandlal’s hands with duct tape, before robbing him of almost $4,000 in jewelry and $240 in cash and escaped in Nandlal’s green Laurel Medallist motor car, valued $60,000. After the report on the murder and robbery was made to the Mayaro Police Station, lawmen received a report that a pedestrian had been struck by a car fitting the description of Nandlal’s stolen car. Ramsundar said that at the scene of the vehicular accident, police detained a suspect in the murder case. The trial continues today.