The two sea pirates who were found guilty of murdering five fishermen were sentenced to death today at the Berbice High Court. It was an emotional day in court as one of the convicted men begged for mercy.
Premnauth Persaud of East Berbice-Corentyne, and 43-year-old Nakool Manohar, of Number 43 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, received their judgment from Justice Navindra Singh.
Persaud begged Justice Singh for leniency, citing that he is a father of two children who depend on him. He told the court that he regretted his actions while pleading for mercy. The other convicted pirate chose to remain silent.
Justice Singh was keen to note however that the men who were murdered were all working for an honest living while supporting their families. He posited that the murder of the men was ‘cruel, gruesome, cold-blooded.’
Justice Singh further opined that based on the compelling evidence presented to the court, and the fact that the duo still proclaimed their innocence rehabilitation is not an option. The judge was convinced that the duo felt no remorse for their actions.
It was alleged that between April 14 and June 3, 2018, they murdered Bandara, Lalta Sumair, and Lokesh De Couite. The murders occurred on board the vessel Joshua SK 1418. In a separate attack, they murdered Mahesh Sarjoo and Tilaknauth Mohabir, between April 14 and June 3, 2018, on board the vessel Romina SK 764.
Last year, the jury, after deliberating for over two hours, returned unanimous guilty verdicts for the two accused.
