Derek Achong
A man from Marabella, accused of stabbing his mother's teenage tenant to death when he was 14 years old, has been released after spending almost two decades in prison.
Nicholas Rampersad was released on a three-year bond when his sentence came up for review before Justice Devan Rampersad (no relation) this week.
Rampersad was accused of murdering 17-year-old mother of one Navisha Crystal Bedaysie on June 27, 2008.
Months before Bedaysie's death, she and her two-year-old daughter moved into an apartment beneath Rampersad's home. She occasionally left the baby with Rampersad when she went out.
On the night of the incident, a blood-soaked Bedaysie was seen running out of the house before collapsing on the road.
Residents rushed to her assistance, and she told them that someone named Nicholas had stabbed her.
As there were several men in the community with the same name, residents asked her to identify which one was the culprit.
She reportedly nodded when Rampersad's mother, Maureen, was mentioned. An autopsy revealed that she had been stabbed 15 times.
Although Rampersad denied attacking Bedaysie, he was arrested after blood was found on his clothing.
When he was arrested by police, Rampersad sought to explain the presence of Bedaysie's blood on him.
He claimed that he heard Bedaysie's screams, rushed to her assistance, and saw the alleged perpetrator jumping over the fence.
In late 2019, Rampersad was convicted at the end of his judge-alone trial before former High Court judge and current Appellate Court judge Gillian Lucky.
As he was a minor when he committed the crime, he was spared the mandatory death penalty for murder and was instead sentenced to 21 years in prison.
After deducting the time he spent on remand, Rampersad was left with a sentence of nine years in prison, with periodic sentence reviews. Justice Lucky also ordered that he was not eligible for release until serving four years and six months of the remaining sentence.
Rampersad's sentence was reviewed twice before coming up for a third review before the judge.
Presenting submissions on Rampersad's behalf, his lawyers, Michelle Ali and Kameika Peters, claimed that he should be released based on his successful attempts at rehabilitation while serving the minimum prison term.
They noted that he participated in numerous programmes, including learning the trade of tailoring.
They referred to reports indicating that he had a low risk of reoffending and was ready to reintegrate into society.
State prosecutor Destinee Gray argued that Rampersad should serve the entire 21-year sentence before being eligible to be considered for release.
Rampersad's lawyers contended that the sentence was not fixed, as it was open to review. They presented several cases in which convicts were placed on bonds before completing the entire duration of their sentences.
Justice Rampersad eventually agreed that he could serve the remainder of his sentence on the bond based on favourable reports presented by prison officials.
Under the terms of the bond, he will be rearrested and resentenced if he commits a criminal offence over the next three years. He was also directed to remain under the supervision of a probation officer and the National Family Services Department for that period.
