20 years for killing woman

Nigel Rampersad, 31, of Macoya Settlement pleaded guilty to manslaughter and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm before Justice Maria Wilson in the Port of Spain High Court.

Rampersad was charged with unlawfully killing 27-year-old Mala Rampersad (no relation) and wounding her common-law husband Basdeo Sinanan.

As a result of his guilty plea, Rampersad was given a one-third discount on his sentence, further reducing it to a little over 13 years. Rampersad received a seven- year sentence for the wounding charge, but Wilson ordered that it should be served concurrently with the manslaughter sentence.

He is expected to be released in less than four months, as the time he spent awaiting trial was also deducted from his sentence.

Rampersad was ordered to undergo anger management courses and alcohol abuse counselling for a year after his release and engage in victim mediation with the victim’s family, if they are willing to participate. Justice Wilson said the programmes would give Rampersad the opportunity to “restart” his life.

The State’s case was that on June 5, 2004, Rampersad was drinking at his friend Sudesh Katwaroo’s home. Katwaroo left Rampersad’s home after midnight but crashed into the front wall of the couple’s house at Streatham Lodge Extension Road in Tunapuna, destroying their dog kennel. Rampersad and Sinanan came outside and began arguing with Katwaroo, who called Nigel Rampersad for assistance.

Rampersad rode to the scene on his bicycle and later told police he saw the couple attacking his friend and went into Katwaroo’s car for a knife.

He claimed that while wrestling with the couple, he stabbed Sinanan once and accidentally cut Rampersad’s throat, severing an artery. The case was prosecuted by Maria Lyons. Delicia Helwig-Robertson represented Rampersad.