Crying teen charged with Vessigny murder

A 17-YEAR-OLD boy and his mother both broke down in tears yesterday after they walked into the Point Fortin police station and were told by police that the teenager would be charged with murder.

The youth, of Vessigny Village, La Brea, was late yesterday afternoon charged for the murder of fellow villager, Alvin Celestine. The youth is expected to appear before a Point Fortin magistrate today. Celestine, 21, died at the San Fernando General Hospital last Friday, some ten days after he and the youth were involved in a scuffle at Vessigny beach. Celestine died at the Intensive Care Unit without regaining consciousness.  Reports revealed that Celestine and the 17-year-old were playing football at the beach on August 19 when Celestine became enraged after a tackle during the game.

Celestine reportedly attacked the youth with a cutlass and the youth in turn dealt Celestine three blows to his head with a broken piece of pipe. The day after the incident, police took the youth into custody but released him after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) ruled that Celestine was beaten by the youth in self-defence. However, on Celestine’s death last Friday, investigators revisited the DPP’s office for further consultation. Following an autopsy at the Forensics Science Centre on Tuesday, which concluded that Celestine’s skull was fractured and death was due to blunt cranio-cerebral trauma (multiple head injuries), investigators were instructed to charge the 17-year-old boy with murder. Police contacted the teen and asked him to visit the police station. He did so accompanied by his mother. Moments later, he was taken into custody and formally charged with murder.