Murder convict with underlying medical conditions dies

Niron Yacoob, a convicted prisoner serving a 66-year sentence at Mazaruni Prison for the murder of Berbice carpenter Faiyaz Narinedatt, died on Saturday at the Bartica Hospital.
The 44-year-old, who had several underlying medical conditions, passed away at approximately 02:00h.
According to the Guyana Prison Service (GPS), Yacoob complained of shortness of breath around 12:26h on Saturday. He was promptly taken to the infirmary and attended to by the medical officer and other staff members.
Despite their efforts, Yacoob became unresponsive and was subsequently transported to Bartica Hospital under medical supervision. He was pronounced dead on arrival by the attending physician.

The GPS has informed Yacoob’s wife, who acknowledged his underlying medical conditions. Arrangements are underway to transport the body to Parika and then to the West Demerara Regional Hospital Mortuary.
In January of 2023, Yacoob and three others were convicted for the 2016 murder of Faiyaz Narinedatt and were each sentenced to 66 years in prison. His co-defendants, Orlando Dickie (Rastaman), Radesh Motie (Rado), Diodath Datt (Brukhand), and Harri Paul Parsram (Lloydy), were also found guilty and are eligible for parole after serving 25 years.
The case, which drew significant attention, involved Narinedatt being beaten and left for dead on the road at Number 70 Village, Berbice, near the home of businessman Marcus Bisram. It was reported that the men placed Narinedatt’s body into a car trunk, dumped it on the public road, and attempted to run it over to stage an accident.

Bisram, initially implicated in the murder, fled to the United States but was extradited to Guyana and charged. On June 1, 2020, a magistrate freed Bisram due to lack of evidence, a decision later challenged by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack.
The High Court ruled Bisram’s incarceration unlawful, but the Court of Appeal overturned this ruling. Bisram subsequently appealed to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which restored the magistrate’s decision to dismiss the charge. The CCJ stated that Bisram could not be committed for trial based on the existing evidence, though the DPP could re-arrest and charge him if new evidence emerged.