A 16-year-old is the fourth person to be charged with the murder of a Canal Number Two grandmother, who asphyxiated when she was gagged during a robbery last year.
The teenager appeared at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magi-strate’s Court yesterday. Previously, three males, including a 15-year-old, had appeared at the Wales Magistrate’s Court charged with the murder of Budhia. The 16-year-old was held recently and charged separately but the Director of Public Prosecutions recommended that the quartet be charged jointly. Yesterday the charges were withdrawn and the joint murder charge was filed.
Nigel Sookram, 27, of Berbice; Steve Sookdeo, 21, a mason of Herstelling, and the two teenagers were not required to plead to the capital offence of murder and were remanded to prison by Magistrate Fazil Azeez. It is alleged that between October 19 and October 20 last year, at Conservancy Dam, Canal Number Two, West Bank Demerara, the trio murdered Budhia called ‘Rhonie.’
Budhia of Conservancy Dam died during a robbery at her home. The elderly woman was asphyxiated, a post-mortem examination had revealed. Bandits, one armed with a gun and another with a knife, had struck at the home and tied up the three female occupants; Budhia, her daughter Basmattie Rampersaud and Rampersaud’s daughter, Shivanie.
The bandits had terrorized the women for about an hour before escaping with more than $1 million in cash and jewellery. Budhia had been tied up and gagged and was heard gasping before she went silent.
The matter was transferred to the Wales Magistrate’s Court and will be heard again on December 11.
