The start of the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the murder charge against Sylvester Bristol, the Yarrowkabra man accused of murdering female taxi driver Savitri Gangadeen Parma, has been delayed after another adjournment was granted to the police prosecutor.
Bristol appeared once more yesterday before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry for a date for the commencement of the PI.
On the last occasion, Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru had requested a date for the commencement of the PI. However, yesterday he requested another date after informing the magistrate that he was currently not in a position to begin.
Mangru revealed that so far the prosecution has 18 witnesses and is hoping to obtain two more police witnesses.
After the prosecutor’s declarations, June 2nd was set for the commencement of the PI.
In his initial appearance before the Chief Magistrate, Bristol had not been required to plead to the charge, which alleged that he, between February 15 and the following day, murdered Parma at Dakara Creek, Linden/Soesdyke Highway.
Hours after she went missing, Parma’s body was found around 6am on February 16. According to reports, the driver had informed her husband that she would be making a drop to Red Loam with an employee of a sand pit owner in the area. Parma’s car was discovered with her sleeping eight-year-old son in the backseat shortly after she had gone missing.
A subsequent post-mortem examination (PME) revealed that she had died from strangulation and had also suffered a broken neck.
