Accused pleads guilty to manslaughter in 2013 killing of Diamond businesswoman  

(From left to right: Murder accused: Colin Bailey; Confessed killer: Colin Grant; and Murdered: Sirmattie Ramnaress)

Colin Grant who was charged with the August 2013 murder of businesswoman Sirmattie Ramnaress pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter on Tuesday afternoon. The now confessed killer was brought before Justice Jo Ann Barlow at the High Court in Demerara.

He admitted that between August 30, and 31, 2013, in Demerara,  he unlawfully killed Ramnaress called ‘Kavita’. Grant was further remanded to prison and will be sentenced on November 2. He is being represented by Attorney-at-law Dexter Todd.

Grant along with former Police sergeant Colin Bailey were initially charged with the woman’s murder. Reports state that Bailey and Ramnaress shared a long-term relationship. Bailey, has, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. He is currently on trial before the said Justice Barlow.

State Counsel Sarah Martin, State Counsel Latifah Elliott, and State Counsel Nafeeza Baig are presenting the prosecution’s case against Bailey who is being represented by Attorneys-at-law Nigel Hughes, Ronald Daniels, and Konyo Sandiford.

Following a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) in 2016, Bailey and Grant were both committed to stand trial in the High Court for the woman’s murder. Reports are that 36-year-old Ramnaress was found dead in the garage of her Diamond, East Bank Demerara home on the morning of August 31, 2013.

Firefighters were summoned to put out a blaze that was set in the garage. The woman lived alone and had stab wounds and other injuries to her head and other parts of her body.