Berbice man gets 35 years for murder of mother

The Berbice High Court on Tuesday handed down a 35-year prison sentence to Deonarine Dookhoo, 45, of Number Three Village, West Coast Berbice, for the 2021 murder of his mother, Teshwattie “Babo” Jaglall.

Presiding over the matter, Justice Sandil Kissoon described the offence as one of exceptional gravity, noting that it involved extreme violence against a defenceless victim in her home.

The court emphasised that such crimes demand firm sentences.

Dookhoo was found guilty during the October criminal assizes for the killing, which occurred between June 30 and July 1, 2021, at the family’s residence.

The evidence presented during the trial painted a disturbing picture of sustained violence, leaving Jaglall with fatal injuries to her head, face, wrists, and upper body.

A cutlass recovered from behind the house was identified as the murder weapon.

Prosecutors highlighted not only the brutality of the attack but also the accused’s conduct afterward. The court heard that Dookhoo left his mother bleeding and proceeded to attend his night shift as a security guard, leaving two young children alone in the house.

When he returned the following morning, he reportedly behaved in a manner that suggested no awareness of the tragedy, even as neighbours and relatives gathered after discovering the body.

The trial also included compelling testimony from a young child who lived in the home and witnessed the assault, later seeing Dookhoo leave with the cutlass.

Investigators rejected the accused’s initial claim that three intruders were responsible, citing the absence of forced entry or any evidence supporting that account.