Colin Grant who said he acted as a “look-out” while businesswoman Sirmattie Ramnaress was bludgeoned sometime during the night of August 30th, 2013 was today sentenced to 21 years behind bars but will serve only eight after deductions for his guilty plea and the period he spent on remand.
A weeping Grant said that he was sorry for what “transpired,” even as he begged Justice Jo-Ann Barlow for mercy, citing his longing to be part of the life of his now six-year old daughter who was born at the time of his incarce ration.
He noted the company with which he had become involved and how their actions had cost him his freedom and altered the course of his entire life.
Grant had been jointly charged along with the woman’s common-law husband—former Police Sergeant Colin Bailey—who was freed last month after the prosecution conceded that it never had any evidence linking him to the crime.
Bailey had always said that he had nothing to do with the murder of his reputed wife of 21 years.
Both he and Grant had pleaded not guilty to the capital charge levelled against them at their arraignment last month. Before the commencement of the trial, however, Grant indicated to the Court through his attorney, his desire to plead to the lesser offence of manslaughter.
He admitted that between August 30th and 31st, 2013 he unlawfully killed Ramnaress, called ‘Kavita’ or ‘Savo.’
His sentencing had been deferred for a probation report and victim impact statements both of which were submitted to the Court and exchanged between the prosecution and defence. The documents were not read out in court.
Justice Barlow said that the victim impact statements made references to a person who has not been convicted of the offence, and in those circumstances, she would not have the contents read.
Presenting the facts against Grant, Prosecutor Sarah Martin told the court yesterday that he had admitted being the “look-out.”
She said he had revealed to investigators that he had planned with other persons to rob the woman at her home, but that he would play the role of the “look-out” on the streets to ensure that no police or anyone else was approaching.
His attorney Dexter Todd in a mitigating plea asked the Court to specifically consider that while he is culpable for his actions based on the principles of the felony/murder rule, his client played no part in inflicting any injuries on the deceased.
Further, he asked the court to consider that his client had no previous brushes with the law, is a model prisoner, and the perfect candidate for rehabilitation.
Todd opined that “the real perpetrator for this crime is not before the court.”
In handing down the sentence Justice Barlow pointed out to Grant that he willingly engaged in the plan to commit a felony at the woman’s home.
The judge made it clear that “whether that plan was to rob her, or kill her, it was still a plan to commit a felony.”
Justice Barlow said that while the charge to which Grant pleaded carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, she did not find that the circumstances of his particular case so warranted.
In assessing the aggravating, factors, however, the judge said she found that there had been a clear plan to invade the sanctity of the woman’s home—and that that plan—whether robbery or murder, could not be excused.
She told Grant that he was party to whatever his accomplices went to the woman’s home to do, and would be equally liable, even though he was not physically present at the scene, while pointing out that he was nonetheless part of the original plan.
Justice Barlow noted that the sentencing range for offences of manslaughter stands generally between 20 to 25 years.
Taking all of the particular facts of Grant’s case into consideration, however, the judge commenced the sentence at a base of 21 years from which she deducted one-third for his early plea and an additional six years for the time he had been on remand awaiting trial.
Following the deductions, Grant is expected to spend just about eight years in prison.
The judge made the observation that having completed anger management sessions in prison for which he was awarded a certificate, no further order would be made in that regard, but did order the prisons to make available other counselling services tailored to whatever are the offender’s current needs.
Justice Barlow pointed out to Grant that he had remained silent as to his involvement in the crime for two full years, was found with property belonging to the dead woman and was not as forthcoming with investigators as he should have been.
These she said, illustrated that he had not immediately accepted responsibility for his actions.
Ramnaress, 36, had been found dead on the morning of August 31st, 2013 on the garage floor of her Diamond, East Bank Demerara home, with a stab wound and injuries to her head and body.
While petrol was strewn all over her house, it was the bond aback the yard that was set alight and destroyed.
The woman’s body was discovered after the fire service had been called about the fire.
An autopsy later determined that she died from cerebral haemorrhage as a result of blunt cranial trauma, compounded by a fractured spine.
Bailey had been a suspect in the murder, but during the course of investigations, had continuously urged police to look beyond him as he suggested their misdirected focus was allowing the killers to go free.
It was only until the State had its last two remaining witnesses to be called that Prosecutor Martin conceded she had no evidence which linked Bailey to the crime.
Justice Barlow had described the entire exercise as one in futility and in a firm reprimand to the prosecutorial arm of the State, opined that given the obvious state of the case, it should never have been brought; as it wasted precious judicial time.
The judge, a former Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, had rhetorically questioned why it was that the accused was before her and the charge levelled against him, when no link, was established between him and the offence.
It had been five years since the former police sergeant had been incarcerated. He was charged three years after the woman was killed.
Bailey has since vowed to sue the State.
In November 2015, Grant was charged with the woman’s murder after police, being in receipt of information, were led to Grant, who was found in possession of the deceased’s laptop which had her initials engraved on the battery.
Grant then reportedly led the police to Ramnaress’ 11-point diamond ring, which he had presented to his girlfriend.
