Cane cutter jailed 10 years for killing stepfather

Bisram Ramsamuj was handed a 10-year jail sentence on a manslaughter charge over killing his stepfather during a drinking spree on Mother’s Day of 2016. The custodial sentence was imposed by Justice Brassington Reynolds, who is presiding at the High Court in Berbice, on Friday.
Initially indicted by State Prosecutor Abigail Gibbs for the murder of Narine Sewnauth, called “Ham”, of Lot 308 Bloomfield, Corentyne, Berbice, Ramsamuj opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence.

It was reported that Ramsamuj and his stepfather lived at the same residence and were at the time imbibing with other fathers in Mother’s Day celebrations. An argument broke out between some family members which caused Sewnauth to intervene. A fight later broke out.
It was reported that Ramsamuj left the scene and returned with a cutlass which he used to chop his stepfather to the head. The injured man was rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Ramsamuj, a cane cutter, was then arrested and prosecuted.
During a sentencing hearing on Friday, Prosecutor Gibbs said that contrary to submissions by Ramsamuj’s counsel that his client used force that was necessary to defend himself, the evidence shows that he used “excessive force” since he was the only person armed.
“Meh collect the cutlass and chop he pun he head,” quoted Gibbs from Ramsamuj’s caution statement.
The prosecutor urged the Judge when handing down his sentence to consider the fact that Ramsamuj and the now dead man were related “and moments before the incident they were all having a merry time.”

Gibbs added, “The State is also asking the court to consider the fact that a life has been lost, and a message has to be sent to society that violence is never the way.”
For his part, Justice Reynolds said, “This whole melee was very unfortunate”. The Judge told the confessed killer, “It is a sad pity that you did not master your environment on that day and that you let your emotions and the situations which confronted you get the better of you.”
Based on the evidence, the Judge described Ramsamuj’s stepfather as a “proverbial jail bait”, adding “It is what people call that type of person in that type of scenario and you [Ramsamuj] got sucked into a situation. And I imagine but for the fact that you were all imbibing beyond your capacity to control your emotions that you found yourself in this situation which now confronts you.”
According to the Judge, it is unfortunate that this family is now dealing with a “double whammy” in that Ramsamuj must be punished for what he did, while his family has already been deprived of the company of Sewnauth. The Justice, nevertheless, explained that several lessons can be learnt from that fatal day.
“It speaks to over-imbibing, it speaks to self-control, it speaks to being able to step away from situations…,” the High Court Judge noted.
In sentencing him, the Judge considered the fact that he has no previous brushes with the law, his good conduct while on remand, favourable probation report, and his expression of genuine remorse. Justice Reynolds also considered his early guilty plea and him showing great prospects of rehabilitation.
Before Ramsamuj was taken to begin serving his sentence, the Judge said to him, “I hope that you will live out the rest of your life as a shining example to other men in similar circumstances and in a manner that will bring honour and glory to whichever God you serve.” (G1)