Six men from Freeport, among them a former Special Reserve Police Officer (SRP), were yesterday convicted of the murders of two young sisters who died in an arson attack on their home in 2009.
Siblings Shiva, Ryan and Vishan Bajnauth, their half-brother Soman Rampersad and friends Kenny Mohammed and former SRP Junior John were before Justice Maria Wilson charged with the attack, which claimed the lives of Sangeeta, three, and six-year-old Sarah Ramdial and left two of their relatives injured.
Presiding in the Port-of-Spain Fifth Assizes yesterday, Wilson read the mandatory death sentence six times in succession after the 12-member jury returned with unanimous decision for the former neighbours turned cellmates.
The result, the first for prosecutors in a multiple accused trial for quite some time, took place almost exactly six years after the sisters were burned to death as they slept in their two-bedroom home at Playground Avenue, Uquire Road, Freeport, on August 14, 2009.
Screams and wails echoed through the large courtroom as the large contingent of the men’s female relatives burst into tears upon hearing the verdict before being ushered out the court.
The six men launched a verbal attack on all involved in the trial as soon as they were each given an opportunity by Wilson to say a couple words before being escorted out of the court by police. As they simultaneously professed their innocence, the men accused the children’s father, Ashook Ramdial, of fabricating the case against them.
“Nah boy Ashook,” Shiva Bajnauth said as he shook his head while staring at Ramdial, who was seated in the court.
They also accused Wilson and prosecutor Renuka Rambhajan of conspiring to convict them.
“And you as the judge allowed the prosecution to do all kind of things they should not be doing,” Rampersad said.
They were then led out the court and transported to prison where they will take up quarters on Death Row.
Also testifying in the trial, which began in February, was the children’s mother Geeta Singh and uncle Richard Ramdial, who were at home during the attack and were shot as they as they tried to confront the gang of men, who were armed with guns, cutlasses and kegs of gasoline.
The jury deliberated for almost three hours after Wilson summed up the case, which was filled with surprises, including a police man providing an alibi for one man.
Cpl Ronnie Lee-Gopaul, testifying in March, claimed he saw Rampersad at the Freeport Police Station when he responded to the report of the fire.
The victims’ accounts of the events were also disputed by Richard Ramdial’s mother, who claimed Ashook coerced her son into implicating the six men.
The defence witness told the jury that while her son was recovering in hospital he was visited by Ashook and was threatened to tell police as story concocted by him.
The men were defended by attorneys Vernon De Lima, Ravi Rajcoomar, John Heath and Chase Pegus.
Prosecutor Shivana Sharma assisted Rambhajan.