Man gets 25 years for killing, stuffing wife’s body in barrel

Confessed killer, Suraj Veersammy, known as ‘Radesh’ or ‘Rabbit’ was, on Tuesday sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for hanging his reputed wife, Devika ‘Vanessa’ Narinedatt, and stuffing her lifeless body inside a barrel in 2020.

Veersammy of Hampshire Village, Corentyne was sentenced by Justice Navindra Singh at the Berbice High Court.

In December 2022, Veersammy was arraigned for the capital offence of murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter which read that on April 9, 2020, he unlawfully killed 24-year-old Narinedatt.

During the sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Veersammy’s attorney, Tuanna Hardy asked the court to consider that her client is only 30 years old and is remorseful for his actions.

She added that the couple lived in Guyana and Suriname, and even on the streets when times were hard.

However, State Prosecutor, Nafeeza Baig urged the court to consider the prevalence of domestic violence-related crimes in society.  She added that Veersammy showed no remorse for his actions and is also known to the prison and court systems.

Between 2013 to 2016, Veersammy served time behind bars for simple larceny, robbery under arms and break and enter crimes.

Justice Singh, while delivering his sentencing remarks said, “People have to learn how to walk away and start a new life.”

He sentenced Veersammy to serve 25 years imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 20 years.

According to reports, the couple were together since November 2019 and shared a rocky relationship; Narinedatt was last seen alive on April 9, 2020.

The partially decomposed body of Narinedatt was discovered in a blue plastic barrel that was submerged in a trench at R and S Street, Belvedere, East Berbice Corentyne on April 11, 2020.

Veersammy was arrested under the Canje Bridge, at the Dharm Shala, in East Canje the next day.

He confessed to the gruesome killing and told detectives that he did it because the woman wanted to end the relationship.

Veersammy detailed to investigators that he and Narinedatt had an argument after which he took a bed sheet and attempted to hang himself.

However, after looking at his young wife who was still arguing, he thought it would be better to see her hanging.

He then struck the woman to the head, hung her, cut her down and stuffed her face down into a barrel and then dumped her in a nearby trench.