Romona Sanasie, the daughter of murdered Atlantic Gardens’ businesswoman Patricia Sanasie, testified before a 12-member jury on Tuesday that she put her hand to a hole in her mother’s neck in a bid to stop her from bleeding to death on the night of her demise on January 12, 2015.
Richard Stanton as he appeared in 2015
Richard Stanton, formerly of Princes Street, Lodge, Georgetown, is accused of executing 43-year old Patricia Sanasie at her East Coast Demerara home.
In giving her evidence-in-chief for over three hours, Romona Sanasaie told the court via Skype that on April 25, 2015, she picked out “suspect number three” from an Identification (ID) Parade that brought back a rush of “fear and emotions” and “flashbacks” to that fateful night when her mother was gunned down.
Now residing in the United States, she told the jury that she started at number nine and first stopped at seven but as she continued, she realised that it was indeed number three who was the man she saw pulling the trigger.
After leaving a few times from the room and even vomiting, she recalled that she requested that the man she identified turn to the side and from that angle, she recognised him from his features.
These, she explained, were big built, five feet, seven or eight inches, fat stomach, fat face, high cheek bones and dark in complexion. The star witness told the court that she saw his body for 15-20 seconds and saw his face “full frontal” for about 10 seconds.
Detailing the events that surrounded her mother’s death, the woman noted that earlier in the day of January 15, 2015, her mother drove her to a temple at Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) to take part in a religious function.
However, the still shaken daughter said she was prevented from entering the area and she stayed in the car. She told the jury that when her mother returned, she, Ramona, drove the car and her mother was the front seat passenger.
Together, they left Timehri and headed back home at 17:45h.
Upon reaching home, her mother exited the vehicle and was fumbling with her keys to open the gate. The younger Sanasie said her car lights were on – both inside and outside – while adding that that there was a street light on a post eight to 10 feet away.
She said moments after they arrived at the residence, a silver grey Toyota Raum pulled up behind them and a man came out and passed her sitting in the car.
The witness added, in detail, that the assailant looked at her but did not shoot right away. She added that her mother was bent over still trying to open the padlock.
“Two seconds after she looked up in shock with her mouth open. Then she looked back at me and then to him and then he started to shoot. He shot one after the next and she made two steps backwards and fell to the ground. He was shooting with the right hand,” Sanasie explained to the court.
She said the vehicle reversed and the shooter jumped in the backseat of the vehicle before it drove off. She explained that the shooter was wearing a due rag on his head and a sheer cloth over his face which she said she saw after light from her car shone on him.
Trying to stop the bleeding, she said she screamed out and neighbours assisted her in transporting her mother to hospital where she was pronounced dead. Sanasie recalled later identifying the body which was handed over and shipped to New York where her mother was cremated.
At Monday’s trial, the 12-member jury was informed that the defendant was charged three months later, in April 2015, and that he remained silent when investigators at Golden Grove Police Station, EBD accused him of murder.
Stanton is being represented by Attorney Mark Waldron while Tiffini Lyken, Narisa Leander and Seeta Bishundial are presenting the case on behalf of the State. The case continues before Justice Brassington Reynolds today.
