| … refused bail pending appealProminent city jeweler,Wholesale Jerseys, Bishnarine ‘Sanjay’ Persaud, was yesterday jailed for 58 months by City Magistrate Judy Latchman, after he was found guilty on a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.JAILED: Bishnarine ‘Sanjay’ PersaudHis Attorney, Glenn Hanoman, gave an oral notice of his intention to appeal the matter in the High Court and asked that his client be released on bail.But Persaud, of Lot 26 Sheriff, Street, Campbellville, Georgetown was sent to prison after the bail application was refused. Police Prosecutor, Inspector Vishnu Hunt opposed bail for the businessman and his objections were upheld by the Magistrate.On September 10, 2014 at Lamaha Street, Newton, Georgetown, Persaud drove motorcar PKK 5051, in a manner dangerous to the public thereby causing the death of former Mayor and City Council worker,Cheap NFL Jerseys, Leon Hunte, 55, of Stone Avenue, Blygezigt.According to reports, about 23:15 hrs. on the day in question,Cheap Jerseys 2018, Hunte was riding his pedal cycle when he was struck from behind by a sports car driven by Persaud.Hunte was pitched some distance away and died before an ambulance arrived on the scene.Police Prosecutor, Hunte,Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys, submitted that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt and none of its witnesses were discredited.A few hours after the verdict, Persaud was handcuffed and shackled. He was then whisked off to the Camp Street Prison in a blue and white metal prison van. One of Persaud’s relatives and his bodyguard were present in court to give support. There were no relatives and friends present for the deceased.Hanoman, in mitigation, pleaded with the Magistrate to consider the application because his client covered funeral and wake expenses for the deceased. He added that his client is the sole breadwinner of his family, which comprises of two small children, who are attending playschool.The Attorney pinpointed that the now dead cyclist’s negligence played a role in how the accident came about.Before handing down the prison term in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Magistrate Latchman considered all of the mitigating factors. The court considered the fact that Persaud called the police and remained at the accident scene until they arrived. It was also noted that a life was lost. On this note,NFL Jerseys 2018, the Magistrate emphasized the need to preserve the country’s most valuable resources – humans.She also pointed out the prevalence of the offence and a need to promote road safety. Reference was made to the police traffic statistics for the period January to September. The Magistrate highlighted that several pedestrians have lost their lives for the year, due to excessive speeding by motorists on the roadways.During the summing up of evidence, Magistrate Latchman disclosed that even though the prosecution had failed to produce an eyewitness to the accident. She pointed out that five witnesses testified, including a cousin of the deceased.The Magistrate stressed that she disbelieved the defendant when he said in an unsworn testimony that he was driving cautiously. In relying on evidence tendered to the court, Magistrate Latchman said that there is proof that shows Hunte was hit from behind and not from in front, as Persaud had claimed. She underlined that if Persaud was driving with his lights on and had been paying attention on the roadway, he would have seen Hunte, who was always in front of him.She also revealed that several photographs were tendered during the trial. Some of them, she said, depicted that the bicycle Hunte was riding sustained severe damage to its rear end.In relation to Persaud’s unsworn testimony,Wholesale MLB Jerseys, the Magistrate said that she found his evidence to be a “fabrication”. She added that the testimony was a desperate attempt by him to hide his flaws. She stressed that the businessman falls below the standard, care and skill of a competent driver.Furthermore, Magistrate Latchman emphasized that she believed beyond a reasonable doubt that the dangerous driving exercised by Persaud caused the death of Leon Hunte.In addition, the Magistrate underscored that Persaud failed to exercise the five C’s (common sense, care, courtesy, caution and consideration) on the date in question.No case submissionBefore Persaud was found guilty of the offence and sentenced to prison, his Attorney, Glen Hanoman had made a no case submission to the court. In the lengthy submission, the Attorney asked that the matter be dismissed because the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.Hanoman argued that the prosecution failed to provide direct evidence, as to whether his client was driving dangerously. Further, he said that the court is to consider whether Hunte’s death was caused by the accident.He asserted that there was no evidence as to what the deceased was doing prior to the accident. In this regard, the Attorney questioned whether Hunte had just emerged from a “rum shop” or if he was going in the wrong direction up the one way road. Hanoman further questioned whether the cyclist was hit by another vehicle. |
