Princes Town labourer fourth man to get bail on murder charge

A PRINCES TOWN labourer charged with the 2018 murder of a neighbour was, on Tuesday, granted bail by a High Court judge.

Justice Geoffrey Henderson, at a virtual hearing, granted $1 million bail to Aaron “Chubby” Balkaransingh of Princes Town.

Balkaransingh is charged with the April 18, 2018, murder of Roshan Ramdial.

Ramdial, 43, died at hospital a day after he was hit on the head with a rum bottle during a fight at a birthday party.

At Tuesday’s bail hearing, Balkaransingh was granted bail on the condition he does not visit any bars or have any contact with any of the state witnesses in the matter.

He also has to move from Princes Town and live in Barrackpore for the duration of the case.

Balkaransingh, who was represented by attorney Kiran Panday, is the fourth person to be granted bail after a Court of Appeal ruling in February which paved the way for anyone charged with murder to get bail.

Three other people have since successfully received bail. Also on Tuesday, Henderson granted $1 million bail to a Tobago man charged with a 2021 murder while, last month, a Diego Martin man was granted bail and, in March, a Belmont man became the first person to get bail on a murder charge.

The latter has been appealed by the Director of Public Prosecutions while the Appeal Court’s ruling in February has been appealed by the Attorney General at the Privy Council which began hearing submissions on Wednesday.