Nearly 10 years after the fatal stabbing of minibus driver Dhanshana Ram, a jury at the Demerara High Court on Tuesday returned a unanimous guilty verdict against Jamal Bacchus, convicting him of the lesser offence of manslaughter.
The 57-year-old Caledonia, East Bank Demerara (EBD) resident had initially been charged with murder in 2015 following the incident that took place on February 4, 2015, near the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) access road at Timehri, EBD.
However, after a year-long Preliminary Inquiry (PI), Magistrate Fabayo Azore, in 2016, determined that the evidence warranted a trial on a reduced charge of manslaughter.
The case was heard before Justice Nareshwar Harnanan, and the jury returned a unanimous decision.
According to police investigations, Bacchus and 43-year-old Ram became embroiled in a heated argument at Timehri, during which Bacchus inflicted multiple stab wounds on the minibus driver.
Ram was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Throughout the trial, Bacchus was defended by attorneys Nigel Hughes and Kiswana Jefford, while the prosecution was led by Attorneys-at-Law Praneta Seeraj, Abiola Lowe, and Mtumika Lumumba.
The judge has scheduled Bacchus’ sentencing hearing for June 17, 2025.
