Cesspit cleaner recovers knife from latrine

The mother, Ria Ramlocan, 26, the jury heard, had three stab wounds on the chest and her child, Ishmael Timothy Ragbir suffered several stab wounds and one of his ears was severed.

Anand Baboolal, 40, is on trial for those murders which took place in August 2005 at Solomon Street, Mafeking Village.

The woman’s mother has testified and the second day of the trial yesterday saw the State leading evidence from police draughtsman Sgt Gregory Hood.

He testified that he made a sketch of the latrine where Ramlochan’s body was discovered and the Mafeking River.

Six formal witnesses’ evidence were read to the jury, beginning with that of District Medical Officer (DMO) Kamalludin Amin, who viewed the child’s body, which was floating in the Mafeking River.

Timothy’s forehead appeared to have suffered trauma.

The evidence of DMO Lionel Clair was also read, which stated that he had on August 13, gone to Solomon Street, where, in the presence of police, he examined the body which was in a foetal position in the latrine pit.

There were stab wounds on the chest. The judge and jury heard the evidence read of Roger Jaggernauth who had said that he heard a news report and contacted Ramlochan’s sister Maria, then went the following day to the Mayaro Police Station.

The next witness statement was that of Angelo Caesar, a cesspit cleaner with the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation.

On that fateful August 14, he accompanied police to Solomon Street where he retrieved a brown handle knife from the cesspit.

The evidence of Police Constable Adesh Bachu, who stated that he escorted the bodies of Ramlochan and the child to the Forensic Sciences Centre was also heard.

The jury heard that the autopsy on Ramlochan’s body revealed that she died from stab wounds. The DMO report relating to the body of Timothy listed his age as two-years-old and the autopsy report stated that the child suffered multiple stab wounds. His left ear was cuff off, the report stated.

The judge and jury heard the evidence of Steadman Joseph, who stated that his wife was Veronica and that between July 2004 and August 2005, she cared for Timothy.

Ramlochan worked at the Resource Centre, Mayaro, he stated, and the last day his wife saw the child at her home was on August 10, 2005.

Ramlochan had left their home with Timothy between 5 pm and 6 pm that day. On August 13, Joseph stated, he went to the Mafeking River and saw the body of a child wearing the same clothes which Timothy was wearing when he left their home.

Joseph went to Ramlochan’s home and according to his statement, he got a foul smell.

State Attorney Shabaana Shah is prosecuting the case while attorney Rekha Ramjit, instructed by her daughter Gina Ramjohn, is representing Baboolal.