A High Court judge yesterday directed that inquiries be conducted into the status of a judge’s warrant, issued 23 years ago, for the arrest of a man for the murder of his 18-month-old stepchild.
Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds, presiding in the Port-of-Spain Supreme Court said there was no documentation on the status of the warrant for over two decades.
She said the man was charged in April 1997 for the murder of his 18-month-old stepchild. The child was beaten to death.
The preliminary inquiry was done before Magistrate Jai Narine.
Two neighbours testified that they saw the man beating the child from a standpipe while on the way to their homes. She said then forensic pathologist Dr Hughvon des Vignes gave evidence of the graphic findings after his autopsy was conducted.
However, the accused was discharged in August 2000.
The then Director of Public Prosecutions Mark Mohammed subsequently applied and was granted a judge’s warrant in April 2001 for the man to be re-arrested.
The new indictment was filed in June 2001. Ramsumair-Hinds said she could not find any evidence that the judge’s warrant went out to the police.
She ordered that the Registrar indicate if the warrant was issued and dispatched and whether the police administration had assigned a substitute complainant to this matter.
Once this was ascertained, the judge said, an effort would be made to find the accused and the witnesses in the case. The matter was adjourned to June 6. (SW)
