Man found guilty of killing drinking buddy

A 25-year-old man, who was initially on trial for the murder of his drinking buddy who he stabbed to death with a bottle, was Thursday found guilty of the lesser count of manslaughter after a 12-member jury returned from deliberations at the Essequibo High Court.

On November 19, 2016, in the county of Essequibo, Tony Rampersaud was found to have unlawfully killed Henry Mendonca, a Venezuelan national. Upon his arraignment before Justice Gino Persaud, Rampersaud, formerly of Eteringbang, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), pleaded not guilty to the murder indictment presented against him by State Prosecutor Lisa Cave.
According to the facts, Rampersaud and Mendonca, who both resided in Venezuela, came to Guyana on the day in question and were drinking at the Eteringbang Landing.
However, an argument ensued between the two, and Rampersaud broke a bottle and stabbed Mendonca to his abdomen. The injured man was taken to San Martin Hospital in Venezuela, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Following the guilty verdict, Rampersaud was further remanded to prison. A probation report on him will be presented to the court on March 26, 2021, ahead of his sentencing hearing on March 30, 2021. (G1)