Murder sentence against Guyanese man upheld in Barbados

(Barbados Nation) The 25-year sentence given to the man who admitted his part in the “senseless” and “reprehensible” killing of a teenager, who died after she was left hanging from the ceiling before her home was set ablaze eight years ago, was upheld by the Court of Appeal yesterday.

This was the decision of Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson and Justices of Appeal Sandra Mason and Andrew Burgess as the case of Teerath Persaud concluded.

Persaud, 49, originally of Walton Hall, Essequibo Coast, Guyana, and Christopher Omar McCollin, 34, of Vineyard Tenantry, St Philip, were both indicted for the murder of Anna Druzhinina on November 8, 2008.

They pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and Persaud was sentenced to 25 years on December 11, 2012. He was given credit for his four years and 26 days on remand, leaving him with 20 years and 339 days in prison.

Teerath Persaud (Barbados Nation photo)