Accused’s parents say sorry

Durban 08022016 Omesh Ramnarain, magistrates court. Picture: Jacques Naude

Durban 08022016 Omesh Ramnarain, magistrates court. Picture: Jacques Naude

Published Feb 9, 2016

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Durban - Moments before their son made his first court appearance for the deaths of two cyclists over the weekend, the tearful parents of Omesh Ramnarain said they were very sorry for the families of the victims.

Cyclists Jared Dwyer, 36 of Glenwood, and Richard da Silva, 46, of Glen Anil, were killed after Ramnarain, who was allegedly drunk and travelling at high speed in his black VW Golf GTi, slammed into them on the M4 just past the Swapo Road (Broadway) turn-off just after 5am on Sunday, apparently when returning home from the nightclub Rocabar.

The pair were at the back of a large group during an 80km ride from Blue Lagoon towards Umhlanga when they were struck and launched more than 20m in front of the leading members.

“We, as the family of the accused, have been praying for them (the victims’ families) since this happened. It is devastating,” his parents told The Mercury outside the courtroom on Sunday.

“We are so, so sorry. We hope God gives them comfort and strength,” they said.

Ramnarain, 32, an Umhlanga plumber who lives with his parents in Phoenix, was also visibly anguished during his brief appearance before Durban magistrate Vanitha Armu.

Gulping and wiping tears from his eyes, his shoulders heaved at times as prosecutor Thulani Mavundla listed the charges he faced: two counts of culpable homicide, one of drunk driving and one of reckless and negligent driving.

“He was visibly under the influence of alcohol,” Mavundla told the magistrate. “We are waiting for the results of blood analysis.”

Mavundla said the State was not opposing bail. He said post-mortems still had to be done and witness statements were to be taken.

In an affidavit read out by defence attorney Devin Moodley, Ramnarain said he had lived all his life in the same house in Phoenix and contributed R5 000 a month, out of the R15 000 he cleared, to the running of the household.

He had been employed as a plumber since 2003. He said he did not know how he would plead to the charges and still needed to properly consult his lawyer.

“I did not resist arrest. I was taken to Durban North police station and I co-operated with the police from the start,” he said.

Magistrate Armu noted that Ramnarain had no previous convictions or pending cases and that he was not a flight risk.

She granted bail of R10 000 and ordered that he report to his local police station once a week.

He will appear in court again in early March.

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The Mercury

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