Khemadatt Persaud, a businessman accused of attacking a woman multiple times with a cutlass during a violent confrontation at a Berbice car wash, has been committed to stand trial in the Berbice High Court for attempted murder, following a ruling at the Whim Magistrate’s Court.
The ruling was handed down on Monday by Magistrate Tuanna Hardy, who committed the accused to stand trial after determining that sufficient evidence was presented during the Preliminary Inquiry (PI). A date for the commencement of the High Court trial has not yet been set.
The charge stems from a January 30, 2023, incident at a car wash in Rose Hall Town, Corentyne Berbice, where 39-year-old victim Marcia Badal was severely injured. It was reported that Persaud allegedly confronted the woman and dealt her several chops about the body, particularly to the head. A Police Officer who was present reportedly intervened and rushed the injured woman to the hospital.
Initial Police reports described Badal as the accused’s ex-wife and suggested the attack stemmed from a domestic dispute. However, Badal denied that claim in a subsequent interview, stating that she was never married to the accused and was not in a romantic relationship with him.
Badal explained that she had business arrangements with Persaud and that he was expected to be her first client following the launch of a business venture with her aunt.
The victim alleged that the accused became obsessive and increasingly aggressive prior to the attack, making repeated calls, tracking her movements, and issuing threats to her life. She claimed he contacted her parents and told them he would “destroy” their daughter.
Recounting the day of the attack, Badal said she was on her way to an automated teller machine when the accused intercepted her along the roadway.
“I saw him come out with a large cutlass in his hand… I reversed and drove off,” she said, adding that he pursued her and damaged her vehicle by chopping it and striking the windscreen.
She said she eventually drove into a nearby wash bay in an attempt to seek safety, but the accused allegedly followed her and carried out the attack.
“I came out of the car; I didn’t even stop the car; the car drove into another vehicle, and that was when he was able to corner me and chop me,” she said.
Badal sustained multiple chop wounds to the head, including injuries severe enough to fracture her skull and affect her brain. She was hospitalized for over a month, from late January to the third week of March 2023.
At one point, she suffered paralysis on the right side of her body and was unable to speak.
“I couldn’t even speak… I was paralysed on my entire right side,” she said.
Reflecting on the long-term impact of the attack, she added: “I’m not 100 per cent okay, and I will have to live with that for the rest of my life.”
Despite the evidence against him, Badal claimed the accused has continued to deny the charge, despite reportedly admitting to the crime in his statement.
“He kept pleading not guilty when he admitted in his statement… that he committed the crime. There are videos, medical reports, and eyewitnesses at the scene,” she said.
Following her discharge from hospital, Badal said she remained fearful for her life and eventually left Guyana to continue medical treatment in the United States.
The accused had previously applied for bail on two occasions, first at the Magistrate’s Court and later at the High Court, but both applications were denied. He remains on remand pending the commencement of his trial in the Berbice High Court, where a Judge and jury will determine his fate.
