Man Pleads Guilty to Setting Wife on Fire in 2022

July 22 2025

Ajay Persaud, the man accused of dousing his wife with a flammable substance and setting her ablaze during a domestic altercation in 2022, has pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

His plea was recently entered before Justice Simone Morris at the High Court in Demerara.

Originally charged with murder, Persaud admitted to unlawfully killing Annalee Gonsalves, who succumbed to severe burn injuries on October 2, 2022, while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The fatal incident occurred on August 23, 2022, at the couple’s Parfaite Harmonie residence, West Bank Demerara (WBD), following a heated domestic dispute.

While hospitalized and in critical condition, Gonsalves recorded a video statement identifying Persaud—also known as “Nicholas”—as the person who threw denatured alcohol on her and set her on fire.

The video statement became a key piece of evidence in the state’s case, which is being prosecuted by Attorney Alvaro Ramotar.

Persaud is being represented by Attorney-at-Law Dexter Todd.

His sentencing has been scheduled for August 4, 2025.