Richard Stanton, formerly of Princes Street, Lodge, Georgetown, on Monday denied that he was the person who had murdered Atlantic Gardens businesswoman Patricia Sanasie, who was shot outside her home on January 12, 2015. 
The High Court trial of the accused commenced before Justice Brassington Reynolds, and the defendant told the court that he was not guilty of opening fire on 43-year old Sanasie at her East Coast Demerara home.
Killed execution style, Senasie was riddled with five bullets by a reportedly “big built gunman” who exited a Toyota Raum. The shooting occurred at about 18:45h on that fateful day as the woman went home from church and was about to open her gate. She was a passenger in a car, and was murdered in front of her daughter, who was also in the same car.
At the opening of Monday’s trial, the 12-member jury was informed that the defendant was charged some three months later, in April 2015, and that he remained silent when investigators at Golden Grove Police Station, East Bank Demerara accused him of murder. This was disclosed by Police Detective Corporal Kester Cosbert, who was the first witness called by the prosecution, which comprises Tiffini Lyken, Seeta Bishundial and Narissa Leander.
Cosbert recalled that he had gone to the Dynasty Night Club on April 24, 2015 at 17:45h, and had arrested Stanton, who was wanted for murder at that time. Under cross-examination, the witness told the court that Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mitchell Caesar was in charge of the Major Crimes Department.
Cosbert said that when he arrested the defendant, he was acting on direct instructions received, and that he was not in possession of a crime file relating to the accused. He said that when he arrested the suspected killer, Stanton did not have a firearm or ammunition in his possession.
According to reports back then, Senasie, a former Director of Studies at the Academy of Professional Studies, was shot to her chest, abdomen, neck and groin, and was pronounced dead after she had been transported to hospital.
A similar execution attempt had been made on the life of Mrs Sanassie’s husband, Deokarran Sanasie, just one year before her death; and she, along with her brother Vishnu Persaud, had been implicated.
Similarly, when she was killed, her relatives blamed him. Nevertheless, it is Stanton who is answering for the woman’s murder. He is being represented by attorney Mark Waldron.
