A 22-year-old man will find out how long he will spend in prison come June 7, 2019, following a jury’s determination today that he was guilty of manslaughter.
Jonathan Budhan, who was initially indicted for murder, was convicted of manslaughter by a 12-person jury; 10 of the jurors said he was guilty while two said he was not guilty. Justice Navindra Singh presided over this matter in the Demerara High Court.
On October 26, 2016, Budhan, formerly of Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, unlawfully killed 40-year-old Ramesh Manbodh.
At the announcement of the verdict, Budhan burst into tears and was inconsolable. He bent his head as police ranks led him away from the courtroom.
Reports indicate that Budhan beat Manbodh with a cricket bat. The injured man was rushed to the hospital where he succumbed days later.
Prosecutors Abigail Gibbs, Tuanna Hardy, and Teriq Mohamed presented the case for the State while attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes appeared for Budhan.