Berbice pensioner charged with wife’s death

Murder accused Randolph Tahal
Berbice: Randolph Tahal, 60, was on Monday charged for allegedly killing his wife when he appeared at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court before Senior Magistrate Alex Moore.

Particulars of the charge read that between September 17 and 19, at Smythfield, New Amsterdam, Tahal murdered his wife Janet Tahal. Tahal, a former driver, was not required to plead to the capital charge.
Police Inspector Godfrey Playter informed the court that additional investigations are being conducted and as a result, asked for a shorter adjournment to October 27, instead of the longer period which was suggested by the court. Thereafter, Magistrate Moore informed the defendant’s lawyer Charrandas Persaud that due to the nature of the matter, only a sitting High Court Judge can grant his client pre-trial liberty. Having said so, Magistrate Moore remanded Tahal to prison.
On Monday, September 18 last, the defendant had reported to the police that his wife Janet may have fallen and injured herself at their Lot 95 Smythfield home in New Amsterdam.

The pensioner had reported that after returning home from his mother’s wake, at Lot 53 Stanleytown, he opened the front door to his house and subsequently saw his wife lying in their home in a pool of blood with a wound to the left side of her head.

He said he took her to the New Amsterdam Hospital, before going to the Central Police Station the following day, where he made a report. Following that report, the police visited the location and saw that the house was secured, but managed to retrieve a bloodied pillow and pillow case which were seen concealed in the corner of the yard.

Meanwhile, the pensioner’s daughter  Jennifer Khan said that the charges against her father should not have been implemented since the post mortem report revealed that her mother died of ‘respiratory failure’ contrary to the reports that she was beaten in the head.

“My dad loved his family and he would not have left my mother there to die. In every family, people have differences but I won’t say that my father murdered my mom. He loved her”.