14 months in jail for businessman man who beat, threatened to shoot daughter

Devanand Singh, a Campbellville, Georgetown businessman has been sentenced to jail for brutally beating and threatening to shoot his 26-year-old daughter.

The custodial sentence was imposed on the 50-year-old father of five on Thursday by Magistrate Rhondel Weever at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

He was found guilty of the offences on March 1. He was convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm on his daughter and threatening to shoot her in March 2022.

Through the probation officer, Singh’s daughter related that she and her father shared a loving relationship, but this ended when she turned 16. The survivour said the incident has affected her relationship with her siblings and has caused her to be anxious.

Singh, the owner of the clothing store “Brands 2 Go”, had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges during his first court appearance in April 2021 and he was released on a total of $400,000 bail.

A probation officer told the court that Singh, in recounting his childhood, related that he was physically and verbally abused by his father who was an alcoholic. As a result of his father’s abusive tendencies, he told the probation officer that his mother, who performed the duties of a homemaker, ended their marriage.

In a plea in mitigation on Singh’s behalf, Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes asked the court to be lenient in sentencing, highlighting that his client has an unblemished criminal record and he is the sole breadwinner of his family.

The lawyer asked the court to consider the injuries the survivour sustained, noting that they were not grievous. Hughes then went on to tell the court that his client is deeply remorseful for his actions.

Further, he asked the court to take an approach to salvage his client who he described as a taxpayer and businessman who employs many.

According to Hughes, the video of the incident which went viral has caused his client embarrassment and has negatively affected his business.

Hughes added that Singh has offered his daughter $2M in compensation, however, the young woman has rejected this sum.

The offer was still made available to her on Thursday.

Additionally, Singh’s counsel beseeched the court to give his client a suspended sentence or have him do community service.

Meanwhile, Police prosecutor Kwasi Carmichael urged the magistrate to sentence Singh to imprisonment given the prevalence of domestic violence in Guyana. According to the prosecutor, such a sentence will send a strong message to potential offenders.

Magistrate Weever, in her sentencing remarks, said that Singh’s abuse towards his daughter was not impulsive as he has a history of abusing.

She described his actions as “reprehensible” and “distasteful”.

“No longer should women be treated as they are a ball to be tossed around,” Magistrate Weever asserted.

In the end, Singh was jailed for 14 months for the assault on his daughter and four months for threatening to shoot her. The two sentences were ordered to be served concurrently.

Singh’s daughter, along with her lawyer Latchmie Rahamat appeared in court virtually via Zoom. At Singh’s first court appearance, his daughter was granted a permanent restraining order against him. He was also ordered to stay 1,000 feet away from her and to give hand over items belonging to her.

There are several videos on social media depicting Singh, kicking and stomping his daughter.

The BIG Smith News Watch had interviewed the daughter of the businessman who told her story in which she detailed a decade of abuse meted out to her by her father. She also told how she planned her escape while her father was out of town.

Soon after, the video of the brutal assault was uploaded to Facebook.

After the release of the video, the businessman went on social media and told viewers that the video recording that surfaced was “not what it seems”. But he did not deny that he was the man seen in the video stomping, kicking, cuffing, and slapping a woman in a Regent Street, Georgetown store he owns.

After the release of the video, the Police seized Singh’s licensed 9mm pistol, a shotgun, as well as matching ammo. The items were lodged at the Kitty Police Station.

Shortly after, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vindhya Persaud wrote on her Facebook page: “The worst thing anyone can do is to justify abuse, violence, and just plain cruelty –no one deserves that no matter what”.

It was reported that Singh’s daughter had made a report via that ministry’s 914 emergency hotline for abused victims and was receiving support from its Survivor’s Advocate Programme.