The preliminary inquiry into the kidnapping of Saada Singh finally came to an end yesterday after the four people accused of abducting her were committed to stand trial in the High Court. The inquiry lasted five years. The accused were denied bail. Shouts of "No! No!" echoed through the new San Fernando Magistrates' Court as Colleen Osbourne, 27, of Pleasantville; Kimberly Moonsammy, 27; her cousin Jonathan, 26, both of Vistabella, and Keston Franklyn, 30, of La Brea, were escorted out of courtroom in handcuffs. Osbourne's mother Marsha Layne, who was earlier called as her alibi witness, screamed and subsequently fainted when she saw her daughter in handcuffs.
At their first appearance in June 2004, they were each granted $100,000 and ordered to report to a police station three times a week. Since then the inquiry was aborted twice and a second unsuccessful attempt was made by the defence in the third inquiry yesterday to have a stay of proceedings. The four were arrested days after Saada Singh, then four, was kidnapped from her school–Giselle Montessori–on Archibald Street, Vistabella. The incident took place on June 3, 2004, hours after Saada was dropped off by her mother Ria Singh. Two days later she was found wandering along a lonely road in Siparia.