A neighbourly dispute over property damage caused by a dog has been identified as the catalyst of an arson attack in Freeport which claimed the lives of two young sisters in 2009.
This was revealed yesterday as Ashook Ramdial, the father of the two children—ages six and three—began his testimony against six of his neighbours, who are alleged to have been behind the attack.
Siblings—Shiva, Ryan and Vishan Bajnauth, their half-brother Solomon Rampersad and their friends Kenny Mohammed and former Special Reserve Police (SRP) officer Junior John—are before Justice Maria Wilson charged with the attack, which claimed the lives of Sangeeta and Sarah Ramdial and left two of their relatives injured.
The incident took place at Playground Avenue, Uquire Road, Freeport, on April 14, 2009.
As he recounted the details of the attack, which he was forced to watch while hiding in a bushy area at the side of his house, Ramdial explained that a day before the incident one of the accused men threatened to set his house on fire because his (Ramdial) dog had stolen meat from his property.
“They say my dog and hogs damaging their land,” Ramdial said before being stopped by State prosecutor Renuka Rambhajan.
He explained that around midnight the following day, his wife woke him when she heard the dog barking in the yard.
Fearing the neighbours had come to attack him, Ramdial said he jumped through his window and scampered into a bushy area to hide.
Using a hand-drawn diagram of the property and the small two bedroom wooden house, Ramdial claimed from his vantage point, he heard gunshots and saw two of the accused, who were carrying guns walking into his yard.
He said shortly after he crept to the back of the house where he saw three of the accused guarding the back exits. He said he saw Vishan climb through a window with a keg of liquid in his hand before he returned minutes later without it.
“It just happen in a flash. I just look and see the whole house on fire,” Ramdial said.
While the 41-year-old admitted the house did not have electricity, he said he was able to see clearly as the property was illuminated by lights from a nearby factory.
He also claimed he was able to identify the attackers as he had known them all his life. Ramdial was unable to complete his testimony by the end of yesterday’s hearing and is yet to give details about his wife Geeta Singh and his nephew Richard Ramdial who were also at home at the time.
In her opening address to the jury, Rambhajan explained that the two adults managed to run out of the house before it was engulfed in flames. Both Singh and Richard were shot several times but survived.
The six men are being represented by Vernon de Lima, Ravi Rajcoomar, John Heath, Kern Saney and Chase Pegus.
Ramdial’s will continue his testimony when the trial resumes on Monday.