Bids opened for dietary supplies for Human Services Ministry Corentyne man sentenced...
in 2017 he was caught stealing and was given a second chance.
According to the probation report the relatives of the deceased are seeking justice for his death.
The report also noted that the duo worked at the location with the deceased and would often make jokes with him.
Terrible mistake
The accused who was seeking forgiveness asked that he be given a second chance at life since he has pledged not to commit such a crime again, the probation report noted.
Bollers yesterday stated, “Your honour I am very sorry for the terrible mistake that I have made. I am very sorry to Rampersaud and his entire family for the pain and sorrow I caused them. It was the stupidest thing I ever done and I regret it every day of my life.”
He added, “I am very sorry to uncle Bula for losing his trust for me and I thank him for employing me at the store, the store work was the best work I ever had and I didn’t know until I lost it. I regret it.”
His lawyer, Surihya Sabsook, pointed out that Bollers was only 19 years old at the time of the crime. She said, the accused is remorseful about his severe lack of judgment.
She submitted that based on his age, there is hope of rehabilitation and stressed that his first step was admitting that he was wrong in this matter.
Sabsook mentioned that the prosecutor had noted that the accused cooperated with the police from the start of the investigation and added that Bollers is a first time offender and is family oriented.
She asked that the judge dispense justice with mercy while acknowledging that a life has been lost, “However again I respectfully ask this honourable court for mercy on the accused.”
However, prosecutor, Tuanna Hardy, stressed that the accused must face the consequences of his actions. She argued that poverty should not be an excuse for his actions.
Nigel Ramsammy, brother of the deceased, said that his brother was a very hardworking and dedicated person. The man noted that his entire family suffered after his brother’s death, and he asked that justice prevail.
Questioned by the prosecutor about his thoughts on Bollers taking responsibility for his actions, Ramsammy responded that it appears that anybody can commit a murder and then just take responsibility for it.
Sentencing
Justice Morris-Ramlall before sentencing Bollers, said, she took into consideration the nature and circumstances of the offence, as she noted, that unlike the co-defendant, Bollers was of age and was expected to be conscious of his actions.
She said the evidence showed that the plan was to rob the premises, which resulted in the death of Monien, who was the guard at the premises. The judge noted that Monien met his death in a gruesome manner.
Further, she considered that the offender was aided by the co-accused, who both were employed at the location with the deceased. She also considered that instead of Bollers showing gratitude after being pardoned for his previous transgression, he planned and executed a bigger robbery, breaching the trust of his employer.
She also took into consideration the impact on the relatives of the deceased and started the sentence at 27 years. However, she considered as mitigating factors that he was a first-time offender, his expression of remorse, his personal history and family background, and though he was an adult, he is a young offender and therefore his prospects for rehabilitation are greater. Based on these factors she discounted three years from the sentence.
One-third was then taken off for his guilty plea and an additional two years and ten months deducted for time spent in remand.
Justice Morris-Ramlall then ruled, “The offender is therefore sentenced to a term of 13 years and two months.”
The judge also ordered that Bollers receive counselling on a quarterly basis.
NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – Fast bowler Akeem Jordan flattened Windward Islands Volcanoes with a devastating five-wicket haul to earn Barbados Pride their first win of the Super50 Cup and keep alive their slim chances of a semi-final spot.
After Justin Greaves (76) and Shamarh Brooks (61) compiled half-centuries to propel Pride to 286 for eight off their 50 overs at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium, right-armer Jordan (526) sliced through Volcanoes’ batting to send them crashing for 113 all out in the 35th over and to a heavy 173-run defeat here yesterday.
Veteran opener Andre Fletcher top-scored with 34 and captain Sunil Ambris got 26 but they were the only two of the specialist batsmen to reach double figures as Volcanoes tumbled from 60 for one in the 14th over, to lose their last nine wickets for 53 runs.
Rookie West Indies pacer Chemar Holder (2-27) and leftarm spinner Joshua Bishop (233) provided the support for the Pride’s first victory in four outings.
“It’s a pleasing feeling. I just thought we executed a lot better with the ball,” Pride captain Jason Holder said.
“We were a lot more sure with our plans and the guys really stuck to them. I think previously in the tournament so far we just haven’t been consistent enough with the ball.”
Ambris, meanwhile, lamented a sub-standard effort with bat and ball.
“I don’t think we bowled well. I think they were some really soft dismissals [when we batted], including myself. It was just an all-round poor game.”
Sent in, Pride lost Shai Hope (16) – a late call-up to the squad as an injury replacement after recovering from COVID-19 – in the fifth over with the score on 27, bowled by pacer Obed McCoy (2-62).
However, Greaves gathered his second straight half-century, hitting eight fours and a six in a 96-ball knock as he posted 136 for the second with Brooks whose 59-ball stay at the crease was furnished with four fours and three sixes.
The partnership was ended courtesy of the run out route when Brooks failed to make his ground at the non-striker’s end attempting a second run at 163 for two, and Greaves followed two balls later in the same over, whipping seamer Kevin Stoute (2-41) to Larry Edward at midwicket.
They were two of three wickets to fall for two runs in the 28th over, leaving Pride on 165 for four, and it was left to left-hander Jonathan Carter, with 49 off 54 deliveries, to inspire two key stands to get his side over 250.
First, Carter put on 46 for the fifth wicket with Nicholas Kirton (9) before adding a further 45 for the sixth wicket with captain Jason Holder whose 28 came from 35 balls and included two fours and a six.
Carter was eventually sixth out after striking three fours and four sixes, nicking left-arm seamer Obed McCoy behind at the end of the 45th over.
In reply, Fletcher appeared motivated by the run chase, belting four fours and two sixes off 34 balls as he put on 25 off 38 balls for the first wicket with Kimani Melius (4) and a further 35 for the second wicket with Ambris, who counted three fours in a 32-ball knock.
However, Jordan struck twice in the 14th over, inducing Fletcher to drive to Jason Holder at mid-off and then removing Stoute without scoring, underedging a pull through to wicketkeeper Hope.
On 60 for three, Volcanoes suffered yet another crucial blow when Ambris departed in the 18th over, holing out to deep square off Jordan and Emmanuel Stewart followed in the next over for five as the capitulation continued,
picking out Bishop at mid-off with pacer Chemar Holder.
With half-centuries in his last two innings, much rested on the
shoulders of Keron Cottoy but the all-rounder made just three before becoming Jordan’s fourth wicket, taken at mid on by Jason Holder in the 22nd over.
MELBOURNE, (Reuters) - Naomi Osaka ended Serena Williams’ bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title with an imperious 6-3 6-4 win yesterday, a victory that booked her spot in her second Australian Open final and left the American great in tears.
In a rematch of their tumultuous 2018 U.S. Open decider, Osaka underlined her status as the new queen of women’s tennis and soaked up the cheers from the Rod Laver Arena crowd as fans returned to the Grand Slam after a five-day lockdown.
“It’s just always an honour to play her and I just didn’t want to go out really dud. I just wanted to try my best,” Osaka said after her 75-minute match on a steamy afternoon.
“I was a little kid watching her play and just to be on the court playing against her is a dream.”
Osaka, the 2019 champion, will meet Jennifer Brady, who ensured there would be at least one American in the final after battling to a 6-4 3-6 6-4 win over Karolina Muchova in the other semi on Thursday.
It will be a rematch of last year’s U.S. Open semifinal, where Osaka edged Brady in three sets on the way to her third Grand Slam triumph.
Williams, however, exited in tears after an errorstrewn match and with a question mark over her future.
The 39-year-old, who returned to the tour in 2018 after taking time away from the game to give birth to daughter Alexis Olympia, cut her post-match news conference short when she broke down after being asked whether it was a bad day at the office.
“I had so many opportunities, ... it was just ... I made too many mistakes there and easy mistakes,” said the American. “Not like .... I was on the run or anything. They were just easy, easy mistakes.
“I don’t know. I’m done,” she added before getting up to leave the room.
HAND ON HEART
Williams’ record bid ended with another near-miss, having reached the finals of four Grand Slams since her last major crown at the Australian Open in 2017.
She paused while exiting centre court as the crowd gave her a standing ovation. She put her hand on her heart, smiled and waved.
Williams was asked whether it was a final farewell to Melbourne Park, where she holds a record seven titles in the professional era.
“I don’t know, if I ever say farewell I wouldn’t tell anyone, so .... ” she responded.
Williams and Osaka’s last Grand Slam clash was full
of drama with the American losing her temper at the chair umpire on the way to defeat in the 2018 final at Flushing Meadows and fans jeering during the trophy ceremony.
Thursday’s semi-final was uneventful by comparison, though Osaka put on a tremendous show after dropping serve in the opening game.
Williams took a 2-0 lead but the Japanese third seed won five straight games before closing out the set with a blazing forehand winner.
Williams began yelling at herself between points, trying to fire herself up, but Osaka was all cold-blooded assassin as she broke the American in the first game of the second set.
Osaka finally wavered with three double-faults to allow Williams to break back to 4-4 but Williams repaid
the favour with a double-fault that produced three break points.
Osaka converted the first of them, swooping in to stroke an angled backhand winner.
She then served out the match to love, with an overwhelmed Williams bowing out with a netted backhand.
Williams had come to Melbourne Park seeking a 24th Grand Slam title but it was her 24th unforced error that ended her campaign.
Brady kept the U.S. flag flying, though, as she steadied in the late match to book her first Grand Slam final.
After needing five match points to break Muchova’s resistance, Brady gets to continue a wild Australian adventure that began with 14 days in hard quarantine in the leadup.
(Trinidad Express) West Indian legends Clive Lloyd and Deryck Murray both said Kraigg Brathwaite could retain the captaincy of the WI Test squad ahead of the upcoming Sri Lanka series.
Lloyd and Murray also agreed that long-time skipper Jason Holder still earned a spot in the squad as the team’s premier all-rounder but stressed it was important to send the right message with the selections for the upcoming home tour.
On the Mason & Guest show Tuesday night, Murray said: “(Kraigg) Brathwaite pulled that team together, put himself to bowl at a crucial time in the game. That is a person who was positive, who was doing things. Do we just say thank you very much, sit in the corner till we call you again? We need to think.”
Murray said Holder had complained of suffering from mental fatigue and CWI chief selector Roger harper should probably consider relieving him of the burden of the captaincy to focus on his game at this juncture.
“Maybe just as Kraigg Brathwaite lost the vice-captaincy and came back, this might be an opportunity for someone else to sit back, perform as a player to the best of their ability and they probably would be indispensable in a team in the allrounder’s spot.
He added: “So we need to look very carefully and make sure that we do not belittle anybody’s performance in the last series because the so-called stars are coming back. There is nobody who is an automatic selection in the WI team. Everybody has to earn their place and be measured against the last performance we had.”
Murray pointed out that based on the 20 Test series win in Bangladesh, there are five to six players who have added their names to the group considered as the first team, who have all made a strong case for themselves. He noted that Holder could concentrate on his batting and being a more wicket-taking, attacking, rather than containing bowler.
“We need to have the best available team at that time... who is coming in with the confidence of being successful, rallying around the team that we are going to build for the next three/four months, because we have three to four series coming up in quick succession,” Murray contended, adding that the Brathwaite-led team in Bangladesh deserved all kudos for their performance.
Lloyd, a former selector who guided Holder to the captaincy, relented to opt for Brathwaite over Holder as captain. “Obviously Kraigg would be slightly ahead because of what they have done with the team they had there (in Bangladesh)...it is a beautiful position to be in...it is entirely up to them and I am sure Jason is a guy who would not sit down and say I have got a bad deal, a raw deal, but it is a good position to be in and I am happy that they are in that situation,” said Lloyd.
The former Windies captain expected the selectors, management and coaching staff would need to have a discussion with the squad and understand the dynamics of the team spirit and interplay in the performance of the successful Windies squad on the sub-continent.
“Because you can’t get rid of these guys that did such a marvellous job. There is so many things that they did right. Not many sides went into the fifth day in Test cricket over the last three years...the point is you just can’t think that this is just a flash in the pan. This was excellent performances.”
He said being captain of the West
Indies is by far more difficult than being the captain of any other Test-playing nation because it involved one man managing players from a 14-island spread featuring different cultures and backgrounds.
“It is not easy to bring people together,” Lloyd said. “Brathwaite and those guys in the matter of a couple of weeks pulled things together. We have to reward them. I want to see them rewarded for what they have achieved.”
The economic impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the indelible mark that it has left on tourism industry in the Caribbean is reportedly doing little to interfere with the prediction by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that the region will record some level of growth this year.
A week ago today newsamericas’ Caribbean Business News Roundup quoted Director of the Fund’s Western Hemisphere Department Alejandro Werner, as saying that the Caribbean is expected to record growth of around 2.1% this year, though the Fund’s top official reportedly added that the region is best advised “to look long-term at economic diversification.” Werner reportedly made a point of wondering aloud about the extent to which the heavily tourism dependent economies in the region “can provide more of the inputs to the tourism services sector locally, instead of importing them from abroad.” This observation by the IMF official has a particular bearing on the ongoing but seemingly sterile discourse here in the region what is believed to be regarding the Caribbean’s existing US$5 billion annual food import bill, largely a consequence of the need for the various tourist islands to provide visitors with high-priced extra-regional culinary options. Werner’s concern also extend the importance of strengthening the region’s telecommunications infrastructure in order to provide “a very strong competitive base.”
In its perusal of the likely fortunes of the Caribbean territories, going forward, the IMF report picks Guyana as the likeliest prospect for meaningful growth this year. It notes that Guyana, according to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, seemingly the administration’s ‘point man’ on the
oil & gas sector, now has US$206 million in oil revenues stashed in its Natural Resources Fund (NRF). This amount, reportedly includes the most recent royalty payment to Guyana of US$8.3 million received in January.
The oil-related windfall, the news report says, roughly coincides with the announcement by ExxonMobil, CNOOC and Hess, “co-venturers in offshore oil developments in the Stabroek Block, of the creation of the socalled
Greater Guyana Initiative, a 10-year commitment of more than US$100 million (G$20B) to significantly expand capacity-building efforts and promote sustainable economic development in Guyana.”
The newsamericas Caribbean Business News story also reports that Guyana, described as an “emerging oil power” continues to seek a permanent partner to handle the marketing of its share of the country’s major offshore oil finds.