Wife killer Suraj Veersammy has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the 2020 murder of his wife, Devika Narinedatt. The sentence was handed down on Tuesday by Berbice High Court Judge Navindra Singh.
The 34-year-old killer had initially been indicted for the capital offence of murder, but during his arraignment, he opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter.
He unlawfully killed 24-year-old Narinedatt, called “Vanessa”, on April 9, 2020.
In April 2020, the partially decomposed body of the woman was discovered in a barrel floating in a trench at Belvedere, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
Dead: Devika Narinedatt
After interrogation, Veersammy told detectives that the woman had threatened to end their relationship, and this had angered him and he had retaliated. Veersammy hanged the young woman, and then stuffed her body into the barrel.
State Persecutor Latchmie Rahamat, in pointing out the prevalence of the offence, called on the court to impose a sentence which reflects the nature and prevalence of the offence.
Veersammy told the court that he was sorry.
Justice Singh said he would receive a 30-year sentence, but deducted 10 years for the fact that he did not waste the court’s time and offered a plea to the lesser offence of manslaughter. Additionally, three years were taken off of the sentence representing the time Veersammy had spent in incarceration awaiting trial.
However, Justice Singh added five more years for the fact that it was as a result of a domestic issue. He said people should learn to walk away. A further three years were added to the sentence for the fact that Veersammy had been a repeat offender, as he was sentenced four times prior for simple larceny and robbery under arms.
He will be eligible for payroll in 20 years. (G4)
