Man pleads guilty to killing stepdad

A MAN who yesterday pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the beating to death of his stepfather during a drunken brawl in September 2000, will return to court on March 18, to be sentenced for the crime. Carson Field resident Suraj Mohammed was originally charged with murder in the death of his stepfather Bachan Partap, however, when the matter resumed yesterday, Mohammed’s attorney Oscar King informed the court that his client was pleading guilty to the charge of manslaughter. Attorney Wayne Rajbansie informed the court that the State was accepting the guilty plea to manslaughter, and Mohammed was re-indicted on that charge.

According to the facts presented to High Court Judge Paula Mae Weekes in the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court yesterday, Mohammed and Partap got into an argument at their Pipecorn, Carson Field home on September 28, 2000. During the argument, Mohammed took up a piece of iron and beat Partap about the body with it. After the facts were presented, defence attorney Oscar King explained that the two men had been drinking that day and pointed out that it was Partap who had started the argument. King also told the court that Mohammed had spent the last three years in custody awaiting the start of the murder trial and called on the court to exercise some leniency when passing sentence.