Man jailed 10 years for fatally chopping stepfather

Five years after he chopped his stepfather to death with a cutlass during a family gathering, 38-year-old Bisram Ramsamuj was, on Friday, sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for the crime by Justice Brassington Reynolds. The sentence was imposed during a virtual hearing at the High Court in Berbice.

The Prosecution’s case was that on Mother’s Day in 2016, Ramsamuj and his stepfather Narine Sewnauth, called “Ham”, 44, both resided at Lot 308 Bloomfield, Corentyne, Berbice. On the day in question, the duo was imbibing at a family gathering to celebrate Mother’s Day.

An argument broke out between some family members and a scuffle ensued. When Sewnauth intervened, he was chopped once to the head with a cutlass by Ramsamuj. While bleeding profusely, the injured man was rushed to the hospital where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

Having considered the aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the High Court Judge sentenced the confessed killer to 10 years behind bars. The sentence reflects a deduction for the time he spent in pretrial custody.

“I hope that you will live out the rest of your life as a shining example to other men in similar circumstances and in a manner that will bring honour and glory to whichever God you serve,” the Judge told Ramsamuj.

Ramsamuj was initially indicted for murder. He however opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter. His lawyer was Ravindra Mohabir.