Derek Achong
Senior Reporter
derek.achong@guardian.co.tt
Three Freeport men who admitted to killing a friend during a scuffle at a wake in 2019 are expected to be released from prison in less than nine years.
Clarence Frederick, Errol Cruickshank and Steven Singh were awaiting trial for murder before they were recently allowed to plead guilty to the lesser offence of unlawful act manslaughter under a plea agreement with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The trio was sentenced this week by High Court Judge Nalini Singh.
In determining the appropriate sentences, Justice Singh accepted the 24-year starting point agreed to under the plea deal.
She then applied modest reductions for each man based on their previously clean criminal records and their efforts at rehabilitation while on remand.
After applying a one-third discount for their guilty pleas, Frederick was left with seven years and six months to serve before becoming eligible for release. Cruickshank and Singh were each left with remaining sentences of eight years and nine months.
The trio was accused of killing 41-year-old Bissram Ramkissoon on November 19, 2019.
The night before, Ramkissoon, his brother Jim Jones Narine and their friend Nicholas Roach were liming at a wake at John Persad Trace Extension, Uquire Road, Freeport, where they encountered the three men.
Roach claimed he saw the trio walk outside and approach Ramkissoon and Narine.
Singh reportedly drew a knife and handed it to Cruickshank, who grabbed Narine and held the knife to his throat before instructing him to leave. Narine complied.
A short while later, Frederick restrained Ramkissoon while Cruickshank stabbed him several times with the knife.
All three men then fled.
They were later arrested and charged after being identified by Roach and Narine during verification exercises.
During sentencing submissions, Assistant DPPs Dylan Martin, Josiah Soo Hon and Khi Cambridge presented victim impact statements from Narine and Ramkissoon’s daughter, Reena.
In his statement, Narine said he remained traumatised by his brother’s death.
“The pain I felt that day is something I will always remember and will be in me. Losing my brother is very hard for me and nothing can replace that,” Narine said.
Ramkissoon’s daughter also questioned the motive for the attack.
“I don’t know why these men killed my father because I know them. They used to lime home by us. My father never did them anything!” she said.
She said she and her siblings had to care for their mother after Ramkissoon, the family’s sole breadwinner, was killed.
She also said she and her brother were especially saddened that their father was not able to see his grandchildren grow up.
“We just sad. My father was the one to have everybody happy,” she said.
The trio was represented by attorneys Jeron Paul, Aixa Edwards and Laurina Ramkaran.
