Berbice man struck wife to head, hanged her and then stuffed her in barrel

The Berbice man who confessed to murdering his reputed wife and stuffing her in a barrel has revealed more chilling details about how he did it.

He told Police he wanted to hang himself but thought it would be better to hang the woman instead and that is when he struck her to the head, hang her, cut her down and stuffed her face down into a barrel and then dumped in a nearby trench.

The man, Suraj Veersammy called ‘Radesh’ or ‘Rabbit’ of Hampshire Village Corentyne was Tuesday charged with the murder of 24-year-old Devika ‘Vanessa’ Narinedatt. Police initially identified her as Devina Vickram. The murder occurred on April 9.

Veersammy appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court where he was not required to enter a plea.

He is expected to make his second court appearance on June 9, 2020.

The partially decomposed body of Narinedatt was discovered in a blue plastic barrel that was submerged in a trench at R and S Street, Belvedere, East Berbice Corentyne on April 11.

The accused was apprehended on Sunday under the Canje Bridge, at the Dharm Shala, in East Canje. Less than 24 hours later, he confessed to the gruesome killing and told detectives that he did because the woman wanted to end the relationship.

Veersammy, 30, detailed to investigators that he and Narinedatt had an argument after which he took a bedsheet and attempted to hang himself.

However, after looking at his young wife who was still arguing, he thought it would be better to see her hanging.

As such, he said he struck her to her head, took the bedsheet and hung her from a beam in the house.

He reportedly left to go out and upon his return, he ensured she was dead.

The News Room understands that the young woman was born in Venezuela to Guyanese parents but grew up in Guyana.  Police Headquarters said she previously resided at lot 361 Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo.

The couple were together since November 2019 and shared a rocky relationship.

They moved into the neighbourhood about five months ago.

Veersammy’s mother during a recent interview with the News Room painted him as a troubled youth who spent most of his time in prison. As a matter of fact, he was released from prison in November 2019.

A post mortem performed on the body by government pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh gave the cause of death as asphyxiation due to compound injuries to the neck and blunt trauma to the back of the head.

The body was identified by the young woman’s father Chandrika Narainedatt.