A caretaker who was allowed to plead guilty to the unlawful killing (manslaughter) of his employer in 2010 because he was provoked has one month and 27 days left to serve of the 22-year prison sentence imposed on him last week.
Goolab Ramkissoon, 75, of Tableland, was before Justice Norton Jack in the San Fernando High Court, He was charged with the murder of his employer Rabindranath Harnarine, of Lamont Street, Palmiste, San Fernando, on May 25, 2010.
In sentencing him, Jack advised Ramkissoon to use the time he had left to serve to get counselling because he also shot himself after he shot his boss.
As he imposed a 22-year sentence, Jack took into account Ramkissoon's good prison record, age and health into consideration before applying a downward adjustment of three and a half years.
Ramkissoon suffers from diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, ulcers and renal failure, a report from the prison’s medical team said.
Jack also applied a one-third discount for the guilty plea and credited the 12 years, two months and three days he has spent in prison, This left him to serve one month and 27 days. Ramkissoon was represented by attorneys Michelle Ali and Collin Elbourne. Prosecutor Norma Peters appeared for the State.
According to the facts agreed on by the State and defence, in 2007, Harnarine bought ten acres of land in Tableland and arranged for Ramkissoon to be the caretaker. Ramkissoon and his wife were allowed to live on the land in lieu of a salary and he was also allowed to plant his own crops.
In 2008, Harnarine built a house on the land and Ramkissoon and his wife were allowed to furnish and occupy it.
The next year, Ramkissoon stopped helping Harnarine on the land, complaining of backaches and not feeling well although he continued to care for his own crops and engage in activities of his own.
Harnarine spoke to the caretaker on several occasions about not helping him, and in November that year, he told Ramkissoon he and his wife would have to leave, as he was not honouring their agreement. Sometime in April-May 2010, Harnarine again spoke to Ramkisson about leaving so he could get someone else in the house who would help him.
Ramkissoon demanded $10,000 to leave and Harnarine refused, instead offering $2,000 to cover any expenses he had incurred in building the house. Ramkissoon agreed and accepted the $2,000.
On May 25, 2010, Harnarine went to remove equipment from under the house because it was raining heavily and it usually flooded when the nearby river broke its banks and met Ramkissoon on the property.
Minutes to four in the afternoon, a neighbour heard three loud explosions from the back of her house and heard Ramkissoon’s voice. The State said he said, “Haul yuh mother c---”
Ten minutes later, the neighbour saw a police jeep arriving. Another neighbour, Pooran Sirju, was woken by a phone call from Harnarine, who him, “Uncle Sonah, Gool shoot me.”
Sirju did not hear him say anything else. He immediately got out of bed and called the police.
PC Rajesh Nandoo, who was
