Court hands down three death sentences to man who killed businesswoman and her young sons

Abishai Caesar was on Wednesday handed three death sentences for the September 2012 murders of Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, liquor store owner Jennifer Persaud and her two young sons.

Caesar, 36, formerly of Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo, was sentenced by trial Judge Sandil Kissoon. In May, Caesar was convicted by a 12-member jury on the three counts of murder.

The facts of the case were that sometime between September 21-22, 2012, at Sea View Anna Catherina, he murdered 41-year-old Persaud called ‘Jenny’ and her two children, namely Afridi Bacchus, 6, and Jadon Ernest, 17 months.

Caesar was represented by attorney-at-law Rachael Bakker, while the State was represented by prosecutor Lisa Cave.

On Wednesday, a probation report was read in court, which stated that Caesar was once employed as a teacher and later served in the Guyana Defense Force.  Caesar was described as abusive towards his reputed wife and had served three months imprisonment for assaulting her.

The prison authorities stated that behind bars, Caesar is helpful and would assist other inmates with their studies. Also, Caesar is currently enrolled in a barbering course and anger management counselling behind bars.

The businesswoman’s father, Kumar Persaud give a statement in court. He said, “I’m happy with the verdict, justice has been served. My daughter and grandsons can finally rest in peace.”

Justice Kissoon told the court: “This crime that was committed by Abishai Caesar is a despicable unparalleled act of cold-blooded ruthless savagery where an entire family…was meticulously and methodically brutally executed by Caesar, while these three persons were in the security of their home.”

The Judge considered that the crime was of extreme violence and the gravity of the injuries the victims received to venerable parts of the body and major organs. He also that said that the young mother was slaughtered and deprived of her children by Caesar, with the use of a deadly weapon during a home invasion.

In highlighting Caesar’s absence of remorse, the Judge told the convict, “You have treated life and death as meaningless.  It is only right, it is only proper, and it is only just, in view of your horrific crimes having regards to the exceptional and specific circumstances that that you be sentenced to death”

Justice Kissoon told Ceaser that he will be taken to a lawful prison to suffer death in the manner authorised by law.

According to reports, Persaud’s house was broken into during a robbery and the woman and her two children were killed. At the time, Caesar was the woman’s neighbour. Government Pathologist, Dr. V. Brijmohan, on September 24, 2012, gave the cause of their deaths as hemorrhage and shock due to stab wounds.

In April 2016, investigators were able to arrest Caesar after his reputed wife went to the police and told them that he murdered Persaud and her sons during a home invasion.

In 2019, the case was first tried before Justice Brassington Reynolds, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict which resulted in a retrial.