Two men were on Thursday given life sentences for their involvement in the killing of a security guard at a Corentyne Mandir in 2013.
The duo Shivnarine Jainarine, also called ‘Sammy’ or ‘Samuel,’ of Train Line Dam, Port Mourant, Corentyne, and Ryan Persaud, also called ‘KK,’ of Williamsburg along with another man Kerwin Hintzen, also called ‘Rattie,’ murdered Jagdat Ramcharran, called “Ronald”, 61, a security guard, of Bloomfield, Corentyne between January 6, and January 7, 2013 .
Hintzen had earlier pledged guilty to the murder and was given a 20-year sentence, leaving the two to stand trial.
Attorney Mursalene Bacchus represented Jainarine and Attorney Arudranauth Gossai represented Persaud.
Prosecutor Mandel Moore, outlined that the men murdered the security guard during the course of a robbery.
The man’s body was found bound and gagged at the Iskcon Hari Krishna Mandir at Block 6 Williamsburg.
The security guard’s body was discovered around 03:00h by a worshipper who visited the temple. When he arrived no one came to greet him and the gate was locked.
After making several calls and getting no response, the worshipper scaled the fence and to his horror, noticed the watchman lying on the ground.
Government Pathologist Dr Vivakanand Bridgemohan gave the cause of death as strangulation. Ramcharran’s head was also bashed in.
Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry after listening to a probation report of Jainarine and Persaud noted that from the evidence during the trial it was evident that both men profited from the crime, Jainarine received $5,000 for his involvement in the robbery while Persaud was paid $1500 the following day for his involvement.
None of them did anything to extricate themselves from the crime when they saw the security guard being tied up.
Both men were given life sentences without the possibility of parole until after 45 years.
In handing down the sentence the Judge said she took into consideration the physical and emotional turmoil that the family of the dead security guard had to endure.
She also ordered that through the Prison’s welfare department that they are provided with counseling.
In his opening address Prosecutor Moore told the court that Ramcharran was a watchman at the Mandir when the two men and others broke and entered the place of worship and in the course of committing a burglary, murdered the victim.
His bloody and bound body was subsequently discovered in the ransacked building.
A bell, a pair of pure gold murti slippers and a tape recorder were missing and the entire building was ransacked.
The bandits had reportedly cut open a grill on a window to gain entry to the building.
