Bishram Ramkishore, who was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on September 09, 2019, has now moved to the Court of Appeal, where he is seeking to have his conviction and sentence overturned.
He was recently released on $500,000 bail pending the hearing and determination of the appeal by High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon at the High Court in Demerara.
On July 22, 2018, Ramkishore, 26, was driving motor car #PTT 6297 in which the now deceased, Victor Ram, 20, of Crane Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara, occupied the front passenger seat. He was driving along New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara at an unlit part of the road when a pedestrian suddenly crossed in front of the vehicle. As such, the vehicle swerved, causing it to flip over. As a result, both Ramkishore and Ram went through the front windshield, resulting in the death of the passenger.
Ramkishore suffered severe head and skull injuries and was pronounced dead at the West Demerara Regional Hospital. The accused was comatose. However, he was taken to Balwant Singh Hospital, where he was placed on life-support machines. Once there, doctors operated on him, and he miraculously survived.
In court documents seen by Guyana Standard, Ramkishore’s lawyer, Melvin Duke, states that the injuries his client received have caused him to be permanently disabled, virtually helpless, can barely walk, and speaks with a prolonged slur. Duke said that his client attempted to settle this unfortunate matter with the family of the deceased but was unsuccessful because of the large and unreasonable sum of money they demanded.
The lawyer contends that his client’s conviction and sentence cannot stand and must be set aside because, during the trial, the surviving rear-seat passenger changed his story and testified contrary to the statement given to the police. He further contends that despite the glaring inconsistency in the differing accounts of the rear-seat passenger, the learned Magistrate found Ramkishore guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.
