Pundit at murdered woman's funeral: Friends can 'delete your happiness'

A religious leader, as he spoke at the funeral of a woman killed by domestic violence, has urged people to be careful about the company they keep, saying friends can "delete" a person’s happiness.

"Friends edit your minds, friends delete your happiness, friends can download problems in your life. Be careful who you choose as friends," said pundit Dharmendra Persad Sharma on Tuesday.

"You lose a life but do not lose the message."

Sharma officiated at the funeral ofmurder victim Tricia Ramsaran-Ramdass, 37, at the Shore of Peace cremation site (Mosquito Creek) in La Romaine.

Last Wednesday, a 50-year-old male relative surrendered to police and led investigators to her body at the home they shared at Sukhan Trace in Barrackpore. He allegedly confessed to the crime. An autopsy later showed she was strangled.

The pundit warned victims of domestic violence to separate from their partners as continuation can lead to their demise.

Sharma said, "Leave, come out of it. Money or no money, come out of it."

He prayed for peace to "be in our homes, our communities, our villages and with our mortal relationships."

Before the cremation, he also officiated at a service at the home of Ramsaran-Ramdass’s parents at Rookmineah Trace South in Lower Barrackpore.

Ramsaran-Ramdass’s 15-year-old son from a previous relationship, Rondell Ramdass,  assisted in performing final Hindu rites.

While the funeral was taking place, Ramesh Sieunarine appeared before Princes Town magistrate Indira Misir-Gosine via a virtual hearing charged with her murder. Murders are indictable matters, so he was not called to enter a plea.

Murders are also non-bailable offences, and the magistrate remanded Sieunarine into custody to reappear in court on July 14. He was unrepresented and Sgt Shazeed Mohammed prosecuted.

Supt Sean Dhillpaul and Insp Allister Jones, both from the Homicide Bureau Region III supervised the investigations.

On Monday, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Joan Honore-Paul instructed police to charge him with the murder.

WPC Callender-Sinclair laid the charge.

Back in 2004, Homicide Bureau police charged the accused with the murder of his former common-law wife who was strangled. Two years later, he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter based on provocation.

A judge placed him on a $50,000 bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for five years.