Convict jailed for 80 years over taxi driver murder

Balram Singh was yesterday sentenced to 80 years in jail after a jury found him guilty of murdering taxi driver Bhomeshwar Sukhdeo, whose burnt remains had been dumped on the Mocha Access Road in January 2010.

“Your Honour, with all due respect, I don’t have anything to say at this point,” an initially expressionless Singh said, when asked whether he had anything to say as to why the court should not pass sentence on him. “I din murder nobody,” the convict added, before retiring to his seat in the prisoner’s dock; shaking his head in disbelief.

The indictment against Singh was that between January 19 and 27, 2010, he murdered Sukhdeo.

In a plea of mitigation, defence attorney Jermaine Jervis begged Justice Navindra Singh to be lenient with his client in imposing sentence.

Jervis advanced that his client, who is 45 years old, has no antecedents and has exhibited exemplary behaviour for the past five years he has been incarcerated.

He also asked the court to consider Singh’s two sons who would not have the presence of their father as they go through life.

Prosecutor Narissa Leander in her address to the court, however, asked the judge to consider that Sukhdeo’s children and family will never again see him.