A 32-year-old Corriverton man, Mulshankar Sukharam, of Number 79 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, was on Wednesday sentenced to 15 years and six months in prison for wounding his paternal uncle, who is also his stepfather.
Sukharam appeared before Justice Deborah Kumar-Chetty in the Berbice High Court. He entered a guilty plea to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, but pleaded not guilty to attempted murder.
What the court heard
State Prosecutor Marisa Edwards told the court that the incident occurred on July 16, 2021, at about 8:00 am, at Sukharam’s home.
The court heard that Sukharam confronted 58-year-old Yughanray Suknaram, verbally abused and threatened to kill him, and then threw glass bottles in his direction, injuring him.
Prosecutors said Sukharam later armed himself with broken bottles and attacked Suknaram again as the older man was heading to the Springlands Police Station. Suknaram was stabbed multiple times and chased into a neighbour’s yard.
He sustained two stab wounds to his abdomen and was first taken to Skeldon Public Hospital before being transferred to New Amsterdam Public Hospital. After recovering, Suknaram made an official report to police.
Sukharam was arrested on April 8, 2022. During investigations, he claimed the victim had previously tormented him and thrown bottles at him.
Victim impact and sentence
In a victim impact statement, Suknaram said he continues to suffer from shortness of breath and constant pain, affecting his ability to work and earn an income.
In sentencing, Justice Kumar-Chetty said she considered that Sukharam accepted responsibility by pleading guilty and was described as generally good, but that his conduct becomes disorderly when he consumes alcohol. The judge also noted the psychological impact on the victim, including alleged threats linked to the accused.
Sukharam was initially sentenced to 25 years, but deductions—including for the guilty plea—resulted in the final sentence of 15 years and six months. The court also ordered that time spent on remand be deducted.
Rehabilitation orders
While incarcerated, Sukharam was ordered to complete both an alcohol rehabilitation programme and an anger management programme.
