Taxi driver jailed for cyclist’s death

Taxi driver Wendell Sooklall was yesterday sentenced to two years in jail after he was found guilty of causing the death of a cyclist.

Sooklall, 23, of Lot 185 Pike Street, Kitty, was arraigned on February 26th, 2014 on a charge that he drove motor vehicle PPP 6592 in a dangerous manner, thereby causing the death of cyclist Quacy Leigh, 20, of 234 East Ruimveldt. Georgetown.

It was the prosecution’s case that at around 11:30PM on February 18th, 2014, Sooklall was driving west on Homestretch Avenue behind Leigh, who was riding his bicycle, heading in the same direction.

Wendell Sooklall
Wendell Sooklall

Police said Sooklall had been speeding when his car collided with the rear tyre of Leigh’s bike. The collision sent Leigh to the ground, causing him injuries. He was picked up in an unconscious state and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), where he was hospitalised in the Intensive Care Unit until the following day, when he passed away.

At the conclusion of Sooklall’s trial yesterday, Magistrate Annette Singh found him guilty as charged of causing the death of Leigh by dangerous driving.

The magistrate, in handing down sentence, ruled that after reviewing all the evidence given throughout the trial she was satisfied that the prosecution had proved a prima facie case against Sooklall.

The two-year sentence was handed down after the magistrate took into consideration that Sooklall cooperated fully with the police throughout the matter, that he was a first time offender, that he remained at the scene after the accident and that he took the deceased to the hospital but also that he was above the speed limit when the accident occurred.

Sooklall was represented by attorney Jed Vasconcellos, who sought a non-custodial sentence for the man. He also made reference to the recent decision made by Magistrate Judy Latchman, who sentenced two University of Guyana students community service after they were found guilty of over multi-million-dollar armed robbery at a city store and asked the magistrate to be lenient.

However, Prosecutor Bharat Mangru urged the court to take into consideration the increased number of road deaths and also the fact that a young life was lost.

Apart from being sentenced, Sooklall was also disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for the next four years.