Convicted murderer released from prison after 25 years

Justice Nalini Singh  re-sentenced Chandradath on July 11.

He was convicted on May 16, 2011, of murdering Selwyn Grant, 65, and his 70-year-old wife Ursula Innis at their home at Allen Drive, Syne Village, Penal.

The couple’s grandson discovered their decomposing and headless bodies  on September 16, 1999.

Grant was found under an abandoned tank in the yard and his head was found in a bag secured by wire. Innis’ body was found in a bathtub in the bathroom, and her severed head was found in a bag floating in a water tank.

Chandradath filed a malicious-prosecution and false-imprisonment claim seeking $1 billion in compensation, which  the Court of Appeal unanimously rejected in 2019.

In her ruling, Singh noted “This prisoner has had several very clear and serious constitutional violations.”

She also considered the fact that, unlike other prisoners, he had no access to programmes for rehabilitation because he was on death row for more than a decade.

However, she said from the prison records, Chandradath was allowed to work as a mechanic at the prison and also became an orderly.

“This is a positive indication that this prisoner is committed to personal growth.

“It demonstrates an increased self-awareness, empathy, and a willingness to adhere to ethical principles. To my mind, this is an important indicator of the prisoner’s receptiveness to rehabilitation efforts and his potential for successful reintegration into the community."
She also said he was entitled to a remission. This is calculated by prison authorities.

In his constitutional claim, Chandradath described his time on death row in vivid detail.

“The treatment of the inmates in the different divisions is not any different, we are treated in the same inhumane manner. The only difference is that there may be the rare occasion that the officer on duty has some sense of humanity, and in those very rare occasions, we are treated like human beings."

He said the colonial-age prison cells were not ventilated and infested by rats and other vermin.

He added, “When I am taken out for airing I am handcuffed and I have to remain handcuffed during the entire period of airing. Sometimes I feel like an animal being taken to graze in the pastures, but even then the animals are released from their tethers and allowed to graze freely. Unfortunately for me I am not allowed that privilege.

“The mental anguish that I have had to go through every single day thinking that I can be executed at any time, the emotional torture of having to use slop bucket for more than half of my life, being confined to my cell for all of the time feeling like a caged animal has taken a great toll on me.

"I have become numb to it and I feel like it has taken away a part of my humanity and I would never be the person I was before I was incarcerated.”

On Thursday,  Singh sentenced him to 40 years with hard labour for each of the two murders, to run concurrently. The 24 years, nine months and and 20 days he spent in prison were deducted. Chandradath also received a discount for the breaches of his constitutional rights.

Newsday understands after the discounts for the breaches and the remission applied by the prison authorities were calculated and offset against his sentence, Chandradath was told his time has been spent so he would be released on Friday.

He was represented by Gerald Ramdeen, Wayne Sturge and Dayadai Harripaul.

Rebecca Trim-Wright and Kezia Gray-Birkette appeared for the State.