The trial of a Chesney, Corentyne quartet – a mother, her son and two other males – who were being tried in the Berbice High Court for murder, took a dramatic turn yesterday with the acquittal of two of the accused and the conviction of the other two on the lesser count of manslaughter.Forty-five year-old Roopdai Sookram called ‘Shanta’, her son Hardat Singh called ‘Vicky’, 22, Kapildeo Singh called ‘Rohan’, 24, and Rajendra Lall called ‘Rajin’, 24, all of Chesney, Corentyne, were before Justice Franklyn Holder and a mixed jury for the murder of fellow villager Brian Chinapen, who was beaten to death on August 8, 2007, on a dam at Chesney.The numbers one,wholesale jerseys, two and four accused – Sookram, her son Hardat Singh and Lall – were represented by Attorney at law Charrandas Persaud while the number three accused Kapildeo Singh was represented by Attorney at law Jorawar Misir.Before the commencement of the third day of the trial, yesterday, the defence informed the court that it would like to adopt a certain course of action pertaining to the numbers two and three accused Hardat Singh and Kapildeo Singh, in which they decided to plead not guilty to murder, but guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.The defence also pleaded for the acquittal of the numbers one and four accused, Sookram and Lall. The proposals were accepted by the prosecution which was being lead by Attorney at Law Dionne Mc Cammon.Justice Holder then directed the jury to return a verdict of not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter, against Hardat Singh and Kapildeo Singh.Sookram and Lall were then acquitted after the prosecution offered no further evidence against them.The state’s case was that the four accused and Chinapen lived in the same village, and Chinapen would usually pass by their homes (which were located in one yard) on a regular basis and would curse and use obnoxious remarks.It is alleged that the accused had sent a message to Chinapen via his nephew that they would beat him whenever they catch him. On the day in question, Chinapen was passing the yard when he was accosted by the four accused and severely beaten with sticks. He was then left on a neighbour’s landing.The neighbour, Shameer Husman, testified that he saw when the man was being beaten by the four accused. He also testified that after the man was left on his landing, he called Chinapen’s wife and together they went and notified the police. Upon their return, Chinapen was nowhere in sight. A search was conducted and the badly injured man was found in a drain not too far away, he was picked up and rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.Husman’s brother, Sheer Mohamed Husman, also testified.Hardat Singh and Kapildeo Singh will be sentenced on Wednesday April 6, at 13:30 hrs, after a probation report is presented.The woman and the three males were committed to stand trial for murder in the High Court after a preliminary inquiry was conducted by Magistrate Chandra Sohan at the Albion Magistrate’s Court in 2010.
