Anthony Persaud was on Friday sentenced to six years imprisonment for the attempted murder of a man during a robbery in 2016.
Persaud, 24, was sentenced by Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Demerara High Court; he has been on remand for the past six years but the News Room understands that he will not be released on time served.
Last month, Persaud confessed that on March 22, 2016, in the county of Demerara, he wounded Navindra Budhu with intent to commit murder.
During the sentencing hearing on Friday, forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Meena Rajkumar presented Persaud’s psychiatric evaluation report to the court and confirmed that he is fit to stand trial.
However, she said that his personality traits, immaturity and paranoid elements “stand out.”
The victim in his impact statement detailed how Persaud’s “brutal attack” has left him traumatised.
“All I wanted to do was live a normal life and the accused brutally took that away,” he said.
Meanwhile, Persaud’s probation report was also read in court by a social worker, who said that although the accused admitted to attacking the victim, he has denied committing the robbery.
Persaud said that he “accidentally” rode into Budhu, who cuffed him to his face. In retaliation, Persaud said he stabbed the victim with a pair of scissors.
State Prosecutor Simran Gajraj told the court Budhu was walking along the University of Guyana (UG) access road, Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown when he was attacked from behind by Persaud.
Persaud, who was armed with a pair of scissors, pushed his hands inside the victim’s pockets but when the victim resisted, Persaud punched him in the face. Persaud then stabbed Budhu six times about the body with the scissors.
Public spirited people rushed to the victim’s aid and managed to apprehend Persaud.
The prosecutor asked the court to consider the nature of the case and the prevalence of the crime. She asked the Judge to send a strong message to deter like-minded people.
Persaud, after a brief discussion with his attorney, Teriq Mohammed, voluntarily accepted the State’s facts.
Mohammed claimed that the client’s plea was not a “tactical one.”
He also said that his client is uneducated, and probably could have made better decisions if he had furthered his education.
While delivering his sentencing remarks, Justice Reynolds told the defence lawyer that people in worse circumstances than Persaud have gone on to “make good with their lives.”
The Judge considered that Persaud was a young offender and also the nature of the crime before sentencing him to six years imprisonment.
