Man pleads guilty to manslaughter for Reg 9 killing

A Demerara High Court matter took a decisive turn on Friday when Deivi Bazzi, known as “Spanish Man,” pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter in connection with the 2022 killing of Kevin Ramroop. Bazzi appeared before Justice Joy Persaud-Singh, where the plea was formally entered and accepted. The State was represented by prosecutors Padma Dubraj, Nelissa Peterkin, and Aleria Aliya Heywood. The charge originally laid against Bazzi alleged that he unlawfully killed Ramroop between December 21 and December 24, 2022. However, following discussions between the prosecution and defence, the matter was resolved with a plea to manslaughter. According to the agreed statement of facts read in court, the body of Kevin Ramroop was discovered on December 24, 2022, in a ditch in the vicinity of Ted’s Place, Central Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). He was found in a downward-facing, seated position.
The body was subsequently identified by relatives. Investigators were told by the deceased’s sister that Bazzi had threatened Ramroop’s life prior to the incident. This claim was corroborated by the victim’s mother, adding weight to the prosecution’s case. The court heard that during a video and audio interview conducted on December 27, 2022, Bazzi admitted to killing Ramroop. In that interview, he alleged that the deceased had thrown a brick at his chest.
Bazzi reportedly told investigators, “If I didn’t kill him, he would kill me,” and further stated that he acted out of frustration after being struck, saying he was “fed up” at the time of the incident. A post-mortem examination conducted on December 29, 2022, by pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh revealed that Ramroop sustained multiple blunt force injuries about the body, with significant trauma to the head. The cause of death was given as a subdural hematoma due to blunt trauma to the head, compounded by haemothorax. The findings were consistent with a violent assault. Following the guilty plea to manslaughter, the matter was adjourned for sentencing. Bazzi is expected to return to court on May 13 when Justice Joy Persaud-Singh will impose a sentence.