Murder accused Ravindra Paremdass yesterday testified that he had hit Roopram Jagdeo only after the man had physically assaulted and caused him actual bodily harm.
Paremdass is on trial before Justice Navindra Singh and a 12-member jury at the High Court in Georgetown, for the 2012 murder of Jagdeo. It is alleged that between December 20 and 21, 2012, at Providence, East Bank Demerara, he murdered Jagdeo, called “Lil Baby” and “Ribbit,”
Leading his defence in unsworn testimony from the prisoner’s dock, Paremdass told the court that Jagdeo had gone to his home to borrow his (Paremdass’s) bicycle, but he told him no.
Paremdass said his res-ponse apparently angered ‘Ribbit who then punched him to the face bloodying his nose and causing him to fall.
According to the accus-ed, Jagdeo then left his yard and went away and when he saw him again sometime later, he was carrying a piece of wood in his hand.
He told the court that he enquired from Jagdeo his reason for having the wood and if it was a problem he wanted with him, and Jagdeo responded yes.
Paremdass claimed that Jagdeo told him he would only be satisfied when he had killed him, after which he threw the wood at him, bursting his face and causing him to fall unconscious to the ground.
Paremdass’s story is that he was revived and got up a bit dizzy, but given the way Jagdeo was advancing towards him, he in turn armed himself with a piece of wood with which he dealt Jagdeo two lashes to ward him off.
The accused told the court that he then left the scene and was subsequently arrested and charged with the capital offence.
Jagdeo’s wife Bibi had earlier testified that it was her husband who had first hit the accused.
Defence attorney Sonia Parag informed that her client would not be calling witnesses.
Attorney Teshanna James-Lake had closed the state’s case after calling about 12 witnesses to the stand.
The trial continues this afternoon at 1:15 when both the defence and prosecution will present closing arguments to the jury.
Justice Singh announced that he will then sum-up the case on Monday, before handing it over to the jury for the return of a verdict.
The state’s case is that the accused and Jagdeo were involved in an altercation that caused Jagdeo’s death. The altercation between the men stemmed from a row over a bicycle.
