THREE persons, including a teenager, whose mother stood alongside him during the Preliminary Inquiry, were committed to stand trial for a robbery/murder committed on January 7, 2013, at the Iskon Hari Krishna Mandir, aback of Williamsburg Village, Corentyne, Berbice.The defendants are Shivnarine Jainarine, called Samuel, 19 years, of Port Mourant, Kevin Hintzen, 25 years, of Rose Hall Town, along with Ryan Persaud, now eighteen-years-old. Persaud, was sixteen-years-old when he was charged with the offence.
Initially, he was housed at the Juvenile Holding Center but was transferred to the New Amsterdam Prison after attaining adulthood, two months ago.
The trio, were unrepresented, but the court allowed Persaud’s mother to stand by his side during the proceedings.
Meanwhile, following the testimonies of several witnesses, Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs Marcus ruled that a prima facie case was made out against the defendants, and thereafter committed them to stand trial at the next sitting of the Berbice Assizes.
The defendants are accused of killing security guard Jagdat Ramcharran, 61 years, of Bloomfield Village, Corentyne.
Further, they are accused of stealing a tape recorder, a bell used for puja ceremonies and a small pair of gold slippers which are placed at the feet of the Murti.
The married father of two, who had been working at the Hindu temple for three years, was discovered lying on his side, with his hands and feet bound. His face was swollen and there was a wound to his head.
In addition, Kevin Hintzen, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment and fined $30,000 after he confessed to having 78 grams of marijuana in his possession while being a remanded prisoner at the New Amsterdam Prison..
Questioned by the court, the remanded prisoner was unwilling to say where he got the narcotics, but confessed that after it was bought he had placed it in his crotch.
“Sometimes I does sell it, and sometimes I does give them [ prisoners ] for free,” he admitted, even as he pleaded for an eighteen-month sentence.
On March 2, 2014 prison officers were conducting a routine exercise during a ‘lock down’ when the prisoner was seen acting suspiciously as he passed Officer Phillips.
Consequently, a search was carried out on his person, during which 43 Ziploc transparent bags were found in the defendant’s crotch.