A 12-member mixed jury on Thursday found 54-year-old Sukhdeo Dharamdat, called “Toney”, and his son, 25-year-old Eshwardat Dharamdat, called “Bruddow”, guilty of murder and manslaughter respectively in relation to the death of their neighbour Suresh Nandkishore, called “Ravo”, in 2015 over a land dispute.
The two men were on trial before Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara High Court.
During the proceedings at Court on Wednesday, Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh took the stand to offer evidence pertaining to the post mortem examination that he had conducted.
During his testimony, Dr Singh informed the court that while performing Nandkishore’s post-mortem, he observed a laceration to his head measuring about eight centimetres.
He said the accountant died as a result of subgaleal or under-scalp haemorrhaging, which is bleeding in the potential space between the skull, as a result of head trauma.
Meanwhile, the older Dharamdat (Sukhdeo), who led his defence by offering evidence, told the court that on February 3, 2015 he and his son (Eshwardat) were working when his younger son, Chaitram Dharamdat — who was killed in the Camp Street Prison fire back in 2016 — informed him that the Nandkishores were repairing the fence on their plot of land.
He said that when he approached the victim to inquire about what they were doing, a heated argument ensued, and as a result, he and his younger son were attacked by the deceased brother, Parmanand Nandkishore, who was armed with a cutlass, which he used to inflict a chop to his face.
The accused claimed that Eshwardat was nowhere around at the time of the attack.
However, while under cross-examination by State Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy, the accused admitted to picking up a piece of wood and throwing it in the direction of the deceased, as well as cuffing the dead man’s brother.
He, nevertheless, denied that he started the argument, and that his sons attacked the now dead man, his father and brother. The accused further stated that he did not say “we ga kill all them men before we go to jail,” as he explained that he tried to save Bhopaul Nandkishore (deceased father) who was injured unknowingly to him and had fallen into the trench.
On the other hand, the second accused, Eshwardat Dharamdat, had led his defence by an unsworn statement in which he stated that he had no involvement in the attack, but only went to his father’s rescue after being alerted.
The trial into the 2015 murder commenced on Tuesday.
On February 6, 2015, the older Dharamdat and his two sons — Eshwardat and Chaitram Dharamdat — made their first court appearance at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court and were charged with the murder of Nandkishore. The two accused were represented by attorneys Brandon De Santos and Alanna Lall.
The State’s case was led by Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy in association with Abigail Gibbs and Teriq Mohammed.
