Accused in 2016 “Skull City” killing jailed for 14 years

Fifty-two-year-old Hemraj Bramdeo, who admitted guilt to a manslaughter charge over the stabbing death of another man at “Skull City”, Patentia, West Bank Demerara (WBD), six years ago, has been sentenced to serve a term of imprisonment of 14 years.
Bramdeo, upon his arraignment in November before Demerara High Court Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall, had been indicted for the capital offence of murder, to which he pleaded not guilty.
As such, a 12-member jury was empanelled to hear the case.
However, on the date, his trial was scheduled to commence, he opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, thereby admitting that he unlawfully killed 25-year-old Dellon Bradford, called “Chicken” on March 23, 2016, at “Skull City” Patentia.

Following his guilty plea, Bramdeo, called “Rickey Scrawley”, a father of three, and former resident of Back Street, Patentia, was further remanded to prison to await sentencing.
At his sentencing hearing on Monday, the Judge, inter alia, took into consideration the aggravating circumstances, including the loss of life and that a knife was used to commit the crime. Another aggravating factor considered by her was Bramdeo’s prior conviction.
In light of the convict’s early guilty plea, he was given a one-third deduction of the base sentence of 21 years in jail, leaving 14 years from which the prison service was ordered to deduct the time he has already spent on remand. He has been on remand since 2016.
Bramdeo was represented by Defence Attorney George Thomas while the State’s case was led by State Counsel Simran Gajraj in association with State Counsel Muntaz Ali.
Following the murder of Bradford, the Police had issued a wanted bulletin for Bramdeo.
According to the prosecution’s facts, on the night of March 23, 2016, Bramdeo and the now deceased man were imbibing at different homes on the same street in Patentia. Bradford left his location at about 18:00h and was shortly after seen arguing with Bramdeo’s daughter on a dam in the same village. Bradford and Bramdeo’s daughter had a physical altercation and her father intervened and stabbed Bradford thrice — once in the back, belly, and under the right armpit.
Following the stabbing, Bramdeo, with the knife still in his hand, chased the injured man a short distance. His granddaughter had to relieve him of the murder weapon. Bradford, who later collapsed on the roadway, told someone that it was “Scrawley” who had stabbed him.
He was taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) and later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he succumbed to his injuries.
According to a post-mortem report, Bradford died from perforation of the spleen and kidney as a result of stab wounds. (G1)