Tears for Akiel

AKIEL CHAMBERS INQUEST

TREVOR CRAIGWELL cried, his voice cracked and he asked for a glass of water as he recounted the events surrounding the disappearance and death of 11-year-old Akiel Chambers at Haleland Park, Maraval, on May 23, 1998. “It was very sad for my wife and I. It is very emotional for me to relive it. A child died in a pool when I was supervising. It is very emotional, I know how precious they are, I have four kids, it is a very difficult time,” Craigwell said as he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. Craigwell insisted yesterday that he and Mrs Annelore James were not friends, although his statement to the police on May 23, 1998, stated otherwise. “That is a mistake, we are not friends,” Craigwell told the court. Craigwell finally took the witness stand yesterday, after several attempts to get him to testify at the inquest had failed. Describing himself as a businessman and fashion designer, Craigwell came all the way from Connecticut, United States, to give evidence.

Coroner Sherman Mc Nicolls, sitting in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrates’ Court, is conducting the inquest to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of Akiel Chambers. Akiel disappeared on May 23, 1998 after attending the birthday party at the home of Charles and Annelore James at 23 Balata Terrace, Haleland Park, Maraval. His body was recovered from the James’ swimming pool the following day. Desmond Allum SC, Dr Kenneth O’Brien and Donna Prowell are seeking the interest of the Chambers family. Acting Inspector Kenneth Cordner is the prosecutor, while Fulton Wilson represents the Craigwell family. Hearing resumes on February 11. Dressed in a designer suit, Craigwell said he went to the James’ residence around 3.20 pm on May 23, 1998 to attend a birthday party for Carrie James. He went there with his three sons, Christopher ten, Anthony, seven, and Nathaniel, five. He said when he arrived at the James’ residence, he saw children bathing in the pool. “I took the responsibility of supervising the kids. There was no prior arrangement for the supervision of the kids There were about 25 to 28 kids, while there were three parents — Mr Young, Mr Riley, and Mrs Romany.”

Craigwell said he sat on a chair at the side of the pool, which he described as dirty. He said he was unable to see the bottom of the pool. He insisted there were no alcoholic beverages at the party. He said that around 5 pm, the children were called out of the pool to stick the cake. He remained outside as parents started arriving to collect their children. He said one parent, a lady, came and asked for Akiel. “I did not observe Akiel for the entire afternoon. There were about 28 kids in the pool.  I agree there was not proper supervision. But priority began with my kids. The supervision wasn’t done properly because a child went missing.” Craigwell said everyone started asking for Akiel. “When he wasn’t found, I looked in the pool. I looked with my eyes...”

CORONER: “You could only look with your eyes.” Craigwell said a search was carried out by the children and parents, including Young, for Akiel. Asked by the Coroner of his relationship with Young, Craigwell replied, “he was not a good friend. He was a customer in my store. He loved my ties, but I can’t remember how many he bought. I can’t say if he bought other items.” Craigwell said while the children were searching for Akiel, Mrs James called parents who had left to find out if Akiel left with them. Craigwell said he eventually left around 7.45 pm, leaving behind his home telephone number in the event that Akiel was found. The US-based witness said he received a call around midnight from the Maraval police who wanted to know if he knew anything about the missing boy. “As a concerned parent, it was hard for me to sleep that night. It was difficult.” The following day, around 6.15 am, he returned to Haleland Park. “My wife told me to go and look in the bushes opposite the James’ residence. She told me to go and see if something had happened. I searched the bushes, there is a mountain area. After half an hour, I went to the market and then I went home. When I got home, my wife told me that Mrs James had called and said they found a body.”

Craigwell said he and his wife went to the James’ residence. On their arrival, Craigwell said he saw the police. He saw something red in the pool and then the police retrieved a body. “Mrs James was crying, she was totally traumatised. She kept saying “Akiel is in the pool, Akiel is in the pool.” CORONER: Mrs James had a right to be traumatised. She put nothing proper in place, don’t you think so? Craigwell did not answer. Craigwell said he gave a statement to the police on May 23, 1998. Questioned by the prosecutor, Craigwell said he did not know Charles James personally, but knew he was a prominent horse owner who was always in the newspapers. He did not see James that day. Craigwell said he did not see Young give any swim trunks to Akiel that day. He did not see Akiel walking around the pool. He said he left Trinidad because he was not getting business. Asked if he followed the proceedings in the inquest, Craigwell said he monitored everything on the Internet and from telephone calls from his friends. During his testimony, Craigwell said he was a swimmer. When asked by the prosecutor why he did not dive in the pool to search for Akiel, Craigwell responded, “I didn’t think of diving because as far as I was concerned, there was no body there.”

Cordner told Craigwell he was not speaking the truth to which the witness replied, “I am speaking the truth, nothing but the truth.” CORDNER: When I ask you about Mrs James, there is a smirk on your face. CRAIGWELL: You are suggesting that I and Mrs James were closer than you think, it is not true. Questioned by attorney Wilson, Craigwell said his entire family left on vacation in July 1998 and never returned. He said his wife was a resident of the United States while three of his children were born there. He said the family took a decision to stay in the US. Craigwell said he left about a year. Since he migrated to the US, he said he has been back in Trinidad more than 20 times.

‘Young gave Akiel red trunks’

ANTHONY CRAIGWELL was just seven years old when Akiel Chambers died. Nearly six years later, Anthony cannot remember giving a statement to the police in 1998. He identified his signature on the document, but said he could not recall going to the Maraval Police Station and giving a statement in the presence of his mother and father. Anthony said he looked over the statement on Monday night after it was brought to his hotel room by the investigator. But yesterday he told the court that he saw Patrick Young give a pair of red bathing trunk to Akiel on the day of the party, although that information is not in the statement he gave to the police two days after Akiel disappeared. Anthony, now 13, said he attended the birthday party for Carrie James in Maraval on May 23, 1998. When he got there, there were children bathing in the pool. He said most of the children there were classmates of his brother Christopher. He could not recall the names of these children.

Anthony told Coroner Sherman Mc Nicolls that there could have been 25 children in the pool at any one time. He came out of the pool around 5 pm when it was time to stick the cake. “I looked at the side and I saw Mr Young hand Akiel a pair of red shorts. I knew he was Akiel because when he entered the premises, I heard other kids saying this is Akiel. After Akiel got the shorts, I did not see him again.” After the sticking of the cake, Anthony said a woman arrived to pick up Akiel. “When the lady asked for Akiel, everybody was asking ‘where is Akiel, where is Akiel?’” Anthony said Akiel was not around. His father Trevor Craigwell was also looking for Akiel around the pool area. He described the pool as foggy as he was not able to see the bottom at the deep end. Questioned by the prosecutor, acting Inspector Kenneth Cordner, Anthony said he knew Akiel from Blackman’s Private School, but he never spoke to him before the day of the party.

Anthony was certain that Akiel was never in the pool that day. He denied telling the police that he saw Akiel in the pool in a pair of red trunks. During the sticking of the cake, Akiel was not around either. Anthony said he found out about a month ago, from his father, that he would be required to give evidence in this inquest. “But I was not told what to say when I come to give evidence in this matter.” Although he saw Young hand Akiel the red trunks, he did not see Akiel put them on. Anthony said that was the first time he visited the James’ residence. That was also the first time he saw Carrie James’ parents.