Man jailed for one year for unintentionally killing brother during an argument

Fight over house alarm results in stabbing

- NADIA KHAN

A PHOENIX man who pleaded guilty to “unintentionally” stabbing and killing his younger brother during an argument over their home alarm being activated, has been sentenced to one year behind bars.

Emmanual Vencatsamy, 50, of Sunford, pleaded guilty to an alternate count of culpable homicide in the Ntuzuma Regional Court last Thursday.

He was sentenced to six years imprisonment, of which five years was wholly suspended. He will serve one year of his sentence in prison.

Vencatsamy was arrested and charged for the murder of Sabastein Vencatsamy, 41, who died in hospital after sustaining a single stab wound to the chest last year.

At the start of the court proceedings, State prosecutor Kaystree Ramsamujh said Vencatsamy faced a count of murder, or an alternate count of culpable homicide after he was alleged to have intentionally and unlawfully caused the death of Sabastein by stabbing him on May 31, 2024.

Vencatsamy pleaded not guilty to the murder. However, he pleaded guilty to culpable homicide.

In his plea statement, read out by his attorney Velvan Nair, Vencatsamy said on the day of the incident, he together with his brother and a friend had been watching sport on television in the lounge of their home.

He said their mother was in her bedroom upstairs.

Vencatsamy said at about 1pm, Sabastein, who was a safety officer for a construction company, received a call on his cellphone.

He said Sabastein had informed him that his car that went for a service earlier that day, was ready to be collected and someone would fetch him.

Vencatsamy said about half an hour later when the person arrived to fetch Sabastein, he asked his brother if he should accompany him.