Maid jailed for life in employer’s death

A 34-year-old woman was yesterday sentenced to life imprisonment after a High Court judge ruled she committed a heinous and savage act killing 65-year-old Cynthia Estelle Maharaj on November 11, 1999. Maharaj was found dead at her Wainright Street, St Clair  home. In passing sentence Justice Prakash Moosai, in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Criminal Court, told Beverly Pierre, the victim’s maid, that her being aggrieved with her employer for whatever reasons, was no excuse for contracting two men to commit an unlawful act. “The court always takes a more serious view of people who mastermind and arrange killings. You were the mastermind behind the killing of this woman. I think you deserve to be punished in the harshest possible manner.

“The State has indicated that (it has) no objections to you serving a 14 to 15-year prison sentence, however I think you deserve to be punished in the harshest possible manner. Taking into consideration all the circumstances, an appropriate sentence will be life imprisonment, not to be released before 25 years,” said Justice Moosai. An expressionless Pierre was taken away immediately by a female court officer, while relatives seated in the court looked on with shock etched on their faces. Maharaj, owner of Dharrie’s Hardware, formerly located at the corner of Henry Street and Independence Square in Port-of-Spain, was found lying in a pool of blood in her laundry room at her St Clair home. Her beaten body was discovered by Sgt Glen Hackett and Detective Ajith Persad, who were brought to the scene by Maharaj’s husband and son after they could not get into the house. She had been severely beaten about the head and had been burned on the right foot.