A little over a week after Calida Schamber and her mother Carmelita De Leon were gunned down at their Point Cumana, home, a 48-year-old soldier was charged with their murders.
Schamber, 43 and De Leon, 66, were at their Shorelands, Glencoe home last Tuesday, when they were shot and killed.
Officers of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region I visited the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard yesterday, where they presented evidence and received instructions to charge Tesson Bradshaw with the murders of both women.
Bradshaw was also charged with two counts of misbehaviour in public office.
Bradshaw was arrested in a forested area off the Blanchisseuse Road, Arima, hours after the murders of Schamber and De Leon.
Investigators said the gun used to commit the murders was not a personally issued weapon obtained via a Firearms Users License (FUL) but a military-issued gun.
In a voice note sent to Guardian Media yesterday, head of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Snr Supt Rishi Singh, responded to concerns from the public over the lengthy time taken to investigate the murders and lay charges, noting that sufficient time was needed to gather evidence to ensure the case was strong.
“The police notes the concerns of citizens about the timeliness of this matter. We wish to point out that the court of public opinion has far lower standards than the judicial courts of Trinidad and Tobago. In this regard the police remains committed to the highest of investigative standards which is geared towards producing evidence to the highest standards which would advance prosecutions,” he said.
Singh added that he could not answer questions about the details of Bradshaw’s bail conditions, or if he was under any supervision while working in the regiment.
Bradshaw is expected to appear before a Port-of-Spain magistrate today to answer the charges.
Meanwhile, a media release from the T&T Family Law Association yesterday called on the authorities to do their part in ensuring that people accused of committing acts of domestic violence were restricted from having access to guns, even if they are members of the protective services.
The association raised concern over the murders of the mother and daughter, noting that despite breaching a protection order, the suspect was not ordered to surrender his firearm, as is necessary under Section Six of the Domestic Violence Act.
The association also suggested that the surrender of one’s firearm should be a pre-requisite to having access to bail in cases of domestic violence.
They also said a risk assessment of the suspect involved could have prevented the loss of lives of both mother and daughter.
“It is the considered opinion of the TTFLA that any risk assessment of the former domestic partner of the victim in the recently published double murder would have shown that he was likely to breach any Protection Order made against him.
“Further the TTFLA questions the existence and efficacy of the National Domestic Violence Register in accordance with Section 21 of the Domestic Violence Act.
“Has this Register been updated and access provided to all police officers so that they may inform the judicial officers at the hearing?”
The association also suggested that any member of the protective services accused of domestic violence should be directed to a senior officer by the court and a request made to prevent the person from having access to weapons while on the job.
Both Schamber and De Leon were cremated after a funeral service at the Church of the Nativity, Crystal Stream, Diego Martin, on Tuesday.
During the funeral, Hugh Schamber, father of Calida and husband of Carmelita, said the family was still saddened and angry in the aftermath of their murders.
