High Court Judge Navindra Singh Thursday ordered a retrial for 24-year-old Rayan Carter who is accused of the 2018 murder of Kanveville, East Bank Demerara machine operator Ishwar Ramanah who was shot and killed when gunmen invaded his home. A retrial was ordered after Carter’s trial ended in a hung jury.
His case is expected to come up again at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Criminal Assizes. The charge against him states that between December 13, 2017, and January 13, 2018, at Kaneville, East Bank Demerara, he murdered 30-year-old Ramanah.
According to reports, Ramanah, called ‘Jack,’ of 624 Macaw Drive, Kaneville, East Bank Demerara, was shot to his abdomen on December 13, 2017, when bandits invaded his home. The bandits reportedly escaped with a gold chain worth $40,000.
Ramanah was rushed to the Diamond Hospital and was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he underwent surgery. He later died on January 13, 2018.
Following a Preliminary Inquiry in April 2018, a city magistrate found that there was sufficient evidence against Carter to put him on trial for the offence at the High Court. Accordingly, Carter of Diamond, East Bank Demerara, was committed to stand trial at the Demerara Criminal Assizes.
During his trial, Carter was represented by Attorney-at-law Rachael Bakker, while the case for the prosecution was presented by State Counsel Tiffini Lyken.
A total of 17 witnesses testified for the prosecution. In his defence, Carter opted to gave unsown testimony; he also called his mother to testify on his behalf.