Rio Claro man to hang for killing taxi driver

RIO CLARO labourer David Donald was yesterday sentenced to death by  High Court judge Herbert Volney for the murder of Tabaquite taxi-driver Ramesh Seelochan. Donald, 25, had been on trial in the San Fernando First Assize Court for the past two weeks fo shooting Seelochan in the head after he and another man hijacked the taxi driver two years ago. The 12-member jury returned a verdict of guilty against Donald, of Pascal Road, around 3.35 pm. The State’s case against Donald, presented by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Joan Honore-Paul and Mauricea Joseph, was that on August 8, 2002 Donald and Willis Romeo hired taxi driver Seelochan for $30 to take them to Tabaquite.

Donald was armed with a homemade shotgun and he and Romeo had planned to hijack the car to go liming. Romeo was the State’s main witness against Donald. While Seelochan was driving along Tabaquite Road, Donald announced a hold up and both he and Romeo took the taxi driver into a teak field. There, Romeo tied up Seelochan and robbed him of $260. The jury heard that Donald shot Seelochan in the head and then ran out of the teak field. He ordered Romeo at gunpoint to drive Seelochan’s car. The car was later found burnt at Saunders Trace, Cat’s Hill, Moruga. Donald, represented by attorney Ernest Koylass instructed by Carol Foderingham, admitted in the witness box that he and Romeo hijacked Seelochan with the intention of robbing him. Donald claimed he did not shoot Seelochan, but that the gun went off accidentally.

Last Friday, Donald pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter for Seelochan’s killing, but the State refused to accept the plea. After deliberating for the stipulated three hours, the jury foreman told Justice Volney that the panel had not reached a verdict. The judge remarked that in the normal course of trials, where there were difficult issues, he would ask them if they needed more time. The judge said, “It pains me where an accused has gone into the witness box and has given certain evidence which all of you are privy to and you 12 good persons cannot agree on a verdict. “It makes for great public expense and to witnesses and to the accused man and to everyone, when jurors, in straight cases based on evidence, cannot on evidence and through a process of grey matter, arrive at a verdict so the accused would know his fate and the system of justice can go on. If you cannot agree on a verdict, then I can accept it.”

The foreman responded that if given more time the panel could come to a unanimous decision. The jury retired to the jury room and, 15 minutes later, returned with a guilty verdict. Justice Volney yesterday commended the State prosecutors for the presentation of their case, and commended police complainant Sgt Stanley Ramdeen for the manner in which he investigated and prepared the case. The judge asked Assistant DPP Honore-Paul to convey his commendations to the DPP’s office and to the Commissioner of Police. Outside the San Fernando High Court, Donald’s mother Zena, sobbed that her son did not get a fair trial. “My son did not get justice. Since Willis Romeo was with him, he is supposed to be there with him (Donald), not a State witness. I am not saying that he (Donald) didn’t do, or he do. But two people commit a crime, one can’t be inside and another one outside,” she cried.