Murder convictions, guilty pleas, acquittals mark Berbice October Assizes

The October 2025 Criminal Assizes in Berbice concluded with a wide range of outcomes, including murder convictions, guilty pleas to lesser offences, acquittals and discontinued matters, reflecting the heavy criminal workload before the High Court during the session presided over by Justice Sandil Kissoon.
The Assizes opened on October 21, 2025, with 65 matters listed for hearing. Between October and December 31, a total of 12 cases were disposed of, with State Counsel Cecilia Corbin completing nine matters before the court. These included five murder cases, three sexual offence matters and one case involving attempted murder with an alternative count of felonious wounding.

Of the five murder matters, two were resolved after the accused pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter. In one case, the accused was sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment after deductions were applied following a sentencing hearing. In another, Mahendra Samaroo was sentenced in November 2025 to 13 years’ imprisonment for the 2021 killing of Feroze Khan, a matter the court heard stemmed from a confrontation that escalated after alcohol consumption.
Two other murder cases resulted in guilty verdicts following jury trials. In one of those matters, a 12-member jury in December 2025 convicted Danny Ramdanny, Kumar Bhagwandin and Navindra Chillu for the 2020 murder of 82-year-old pensioner Chandari Budhu, also known as “Auntie Dayo”, of Tain Village, Corentyne. The prosecution’s case centred on evidence that the elderly woman was killed during a robbery at her home, with testimony from Kevin Mangar, who acted as a lookout and received proceeds from the offence. Despite alibi defences raised on behalf of the accused, the jury found that the men acted pursuant to a joint plan. Justice Kissoon has scheduled sentencing for January 9, 2026, pending probation and psychiatric reports.
In another murder matter, Deonarine “Dinesh” Dookhoo was found guilty by a jury for the killing of his mother, Teshwattie Jaglall, also known as “Babo”, between June 30 and July 1, 2021, at their home in Number 3 Village, West Coast Berbice. Evidence before the court indicated that the killing followed a dispute linked to Dookhoo’s alcohol use and involved a cutlass attack. Justice Kissoon has fixed January 6, 2026, for sentencing after the completion of the required reports.
The Assizes also saw a high-profile acquittal in a murder trial arising from the 2020 killing of taxi driver Mohamed Haniff of Experiment, West Coast Berbice. A 12-member jury returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts for Royston Dowden, also known as “Sakie” or “Killa”, along with Ivan Lindo and Devon McAlmont, following a trial that heard evidence from 22 witnesses. The prosecution had alleged that Haniff was beaten and chopped to death during what was initially reported as a robbery, but the defence challenged the strength of the State’s case, noting that cash and jewellery were later found hidden in the house and advancing an alternative theory that the victim’s wife may have been involved. After deliberating for about two hours, the jury acquitted the men, who were subsequently released after spending more than four years on remand.
Three sexual offence matters were also addressed during the October Assizes. In two cases, the accused pleaded guilty, with one sentenced to 10 years and eight months’ imprisonment, while sentencing in the other has been deferred to January 6, 2026, following a sentencing hearing. In the third sexual offence matter, the accused was found guilty by a jury and will likewise be sentenced on January 6, 2026.
The court also dealt with a case involving attempted murder with an alternative count of felonious wounding, in which two accused were jointly indicted. One pleaded guilty to the alternative charge and is to be sentenced on January 6, 2026, while the other will proceed to trial.
Additionally, three matters were discontinued after the Director of Public Prosecutions entered nolle prosequi. Two of those involved sexual offences, in which one complainant declined to testify and another could not be located. The third discontinued matter involved an attempted murder charge in which the main witness had died, leaving the prosecution without its central evidence.
The Berbice October Criminal Assizes will continue into the new year and are scheduled to conclude on February 3, 2026, when the February 2026 Assizes are expected to commence, as the High Court continues to address a significant backlog of serious criminal matters.