Jury empanelled for ex-cop accused of killing reputed wife

Former Police Sergeant Colin Bailey and his co-accused Colin Grant were on Wednesday arraigned before Demerara High Court Judge Jo-Ann Barlow on a joint charge of murdering Bailey’s long-time partner Surmattie Ramnaress between August 30 and 31, 2013.
A 12-member mixed jury has been empanelled to weigh the evidence in the trial, which is scheduled to begin next week Tuesday. Presenting the murder indictment against the two accused were Prosecutors Sarah Martin, Nafeeza Baig, and Latifah Elliott.
Bailey and Grant have both pleaded not guilty to the charge. They are being represented by Attorneys-at-law Nigel Hughes, Ronald Daniels, Konyo Sandiford, Dexter Todd, and Dexter Smartt.
The lifeless body of 36-year-old Ramnaress, called “Savita”, was found at around 10:00h on August 31, 2013 at her Lot 2430, 21st Avenue, Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara home. Her throat had been slit, her head bashed in, and her hip disjointed, while sections of her multi-million-dollar property were destroyed by fire.
The bottom flat of the house had been completely drenched with kerosene, and the entire house had been ransacked, which suggested that the woman was robbed before she was killed.

The perpetrators had also set alight a bond behind the house, which was completely destroyed. After the robbery, the killers escaped in one of the woman’s motor cars.
Recordings from the internal and external surveillance cameras were missing.
From the inception, investigators believed the robbery might have been an inside job, since there was no sign of forced entry into the premises. In addition, the woman’s property was protected by a high, grilled fence and an alarm system which, according to neighbours, did not go off during the night of the gruesome murder. (G1)