A man who admitted to stabbing his friend over 30 times in a drunken brawl eight years ago will be sentenced in the San Fernando High Court next Friday. Michael Baboolal, 29, of Gran Couva, was charged with murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. The State accepted the manslaughter plea on the basis of provocation. The incident began outside a bar during a bazaar in Gran Couva on May 2, 2005.
The accused was liming with his brothers and the deceased, Lester Baptiste, 34. They were all drunk. According to the State’s case, the accused and Baptiste began arguing. Baptiste slapped the accused and the accused slapped him back. Baptiste, the State is saying, left and returned with a cutlass. During the fight, which also involved the accused brothers, Baptiste was stabbed. Baboolal was also injured. He was represented by attorney Rekha Ramjit, instructed by Marissa Bubb.
In her mitigation plea, Ramjit asked Justice Geoffrey Henderson to consider the prisoner was then 21, had no previous convictions or pending matters, and by pleading guilty did not waste the court’s time. Further, she said, he has spent eight years and seven months in prison. She said he reacted to the slap and might possibly have acted out of anger and fear since Baptiste had a cutlass. She also asked the judge to consider that everyone was drunk.
Baboolal, who was charged by Insp Dipchan Samuel, claimed he could not recall what happened. State attorney Mauriceia Joseph agreed that the probation officer’s report painted him as a “good boy.” However, she pointed to aggravating factors, including that Baboolal held down Baptiste for his brother to planass him. Joseph said even when Baptiste was on the ground Baboolal kicked him repeatedly. The judge said he needed to consider the submissions carefully and deferred sentence to December 6.