Court affirms trio’s sentences

THE PORT-OF-Spain Court of Appeal yesterday affirmed the sentences of three of the five men who were convicted of the April 2000 kidnapping of TSTT employee Camille Bobart. The affirmation of the sentences came after the men — Carlos Manickchand, Dane Manickchand and Hayden Benjamin informed the court of their decision to withdraw their appeals. In affirming the sentences, the court ruled that the men begin serving their sentence from the date the appeal was filed, which in Dane’s case was December 9, 2002, while in the case of Benjamin and Carlos was December 2, 2002.

Two others — Karim and Sean Subransingh will have their appeals heard on a date to be fixed in January 2004. The five men were found guilty by a nine-member jury on November 18, 2002, of various charges stemming from Bobart’s kidnapping. Bobart, 26, was kidnapped on April 7, 2000, from Gulf City Car Park and falsely imprisoned at a townhouse at Commodore Courts, Westmoorings, between April 7, and 28, 2000. A $2.4 million ransom was requested for her safe return. Bobart was eventually rescued and the five men arrested in a joint sting operation involving the Anti-Kidnapping Squad and the Venezuelan Police. The withdrawal means that the trio will begin serving the sentences handed down on November 18, 2002 by trial judge Herbert Volney, in the San Fernando High Court. Justice Volney sentenced businessman Carlos Manickchand of Farah Street, San Fernando, to 17 years hard labour for false imprisonment and demanding money from Bobart’s parent with menace. His sentence was the highest sentence handed down for kidnapping in Trinidad and Tobago.

Carlos’ brother Dane, 24, a bank clerk of Farrel St, Les Efforts East, San Fernando, was sentenced to 12 years hard labour for false imprisonment and Benjamin, 29, a security guard of Valencia was given a reduced sentence of 12 years for kidnapping and three years for assault. The sentences will run concurrently. Meanwhile, businessman Sean Subransingh, 32, of Valley View Drive, Gulf View, who was sentenced to 15 years hard labour for kidnapping, five years for assault and one year for demanding money from Bobart’s parents by menace and  Karim of Convent Street, Arouca, who was sentenced to ten years hard labour for false imprisonment will have their appeal heard on a date to be fixed in January 2004. Attorneys Leon Gokool appeared for Benjamin, Ian Brookes and Devish Maharaj appeared for Karim and Theodore Guerra appeared for Subransingh. The State was represented in the matter by Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson and Trevor Ward.