Man on death row for killing woman, young sons wants conviction overturned

Abishai Caesar, the man who was last month handed down three death sentences for the September 2012 murders of businesswoman Jennifer Persaud and her two young sons, has moved to the Court of Appeal in a bid to overturn his conviction and sentence.

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

He has now moved to the Appeal Court where he contends that his trial was unfair and the sentences imposed by Justice Kissoon are too severe.

It was reported that between September 21 and 22, 2012, at Sea View Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, Caesar murdered 41-year-old Persaud called ‘Jenny’ and her two children – six-year-old Afridi Bacchus and 17-month-old Jadon Ernest.

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.

It was at the end of the retrial that he was handed the three death sentences.