Body in sheet on hospital floor

The aunt of 11-year-old Akiel Chambers broke down in tears in the witness box yesterday as she recalled the morning her nephew’s body was found at the bottom of a swimming pool at a Maraval home.

Valerie Pascall told a Coroner’s inquest that she went to the Port of Spain General hospital where she saw Akiel’s body wrapped in a sheet on the floor. She could not take the strange smell of the room and left. Pascall, Akiel’s legal guardian said she asked for a second autopsy because she was not satisfied with the first. The first was performed by Dr Neville Jankey, and stated that Akiel died by drowning, which baffled her as she had searched the pool and had not found him. After the second post-mortem which was done by Dr Hughvon des Vignes, Dr Jankey told her that Akiel was sexually abused and that repeated anal intercourse was carried out on her nephew. Pascall said her nephew never showed any signs of being abused. “I don’t know how that could have happened to Akiel,” she added.

Sgt Kenneth Cordner, the Court Prosecutor, questioned Pascall who described Akiel as being very quiet and withdrawn. She said he had missed his mother very much and wanted to be with her. She said Akiel went nowhere without his aunt’s permission. His attendance at school was very high. Questioned by Desmond Allum SC, who is looking after the interest of the Pascall family, Pascall said that when she went to the Maraval home where Akiel was attending a birthday party to enquire about her nephew, she was told by some of the children that Akiel had left with one Patrick Young. The first post-mortem confirmed that Akiel died as a result of asphyxia due to drowning, but according to Pascall, she searched for her nephew in a swimming pool and did not find him. Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls presiding as Coroner, is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Akiel Chambers who died on May 23, 1998. Akiel had gone to a birthday party at the home of Charles and Annelore James at 23 Balata Terrace, Haleland Park, Maraval, when he disappeared.

Desmond Allum SC, assisted by Kenneth O’Brien and Rajiv Persad, are looking after the interest of the Pascall family while Sgt Cordner is the court prosecutor. Hearing resumes at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court on Friday. Pascall who lives at Cocorite, said Akiel’s mother Deborah Pascall, migrated to the United Kingdom in 1993 and never returned. Akiel’s father Rawle Chambers, lived at La Horquetta, but has since gone to London and married Deborah Pascall. In September 1997, Akiel started living with Valerie at Henry Street, Port-of-Spain. Akiel also started attending Blackman’s Private School, Saddle Road, Maraval. She said she took a decision to put Akiel into Blackman’s school to improve his grades. Her brothers who live in Canada paid for the tuition. Initially, Pascall said she accompanied Akiel to school, taking a Maraval taxi from the corner of Duke and Charlotte Streets, Port-of-Spain. Later Akiel started going to school and returning home on his own. Pascall said she left home around 3 pm on May 23, 1998 to take Akiel to a birthday party for Carrie James, a classmate of her nephew. She hired a taxi because she did not know where the James’ residence was. On arrival at Haleland Park, she saw a young lady standing near the entrance along with several children whom she recognised. Pascall did not get out of the taxi. She left Akiel at Haleland Park and returned to her home where she also carried on her dressmaking business. Pascall said she called the James’ home around 5 pm only to be told that the guests were about to stick the birthday cake. She eventually left her home around 5.30 pm and took a taxi straight to Haleland Park. “I arrived there just before six o’clock. I told the taxi driver to wait for me as I was just going to pick up Akiel. I walked down the driveway and opened a sliding door to the kitchen. I saw some children and about three to four parents. I saw the postman Terrence Mc Clean who had a son attending Blackman’s School.”

Pascall continued, “Mc Clean asked me what I was doing there as I had a daughter who went to Blackman’s. I told him that my nephew was attending the school and that I had come to pick him up. I saw Mrs James in the kitchen and I asked her for Akiel. Everybody was calling his name, but he didn’t appear.” Pascall said a search was carried out in the toy room and the computer room. Akiel was not found. Then, a search was carried out in the pool where about 15 children were bathing. She noticed there was no supervision and the children were bathing in the shallow end of the pool. At that time, parents were turning up to collect their children. There was a bigger search taking place. The pool was very clean as Pascall was able to see the bottom. Pascall said Akiel did not get permission to swim in the pool at the party. That was the condition on which he was allowed to attend, the aunt added. Pascall said the search reached next door where children were also congregating. “Someone said Akiel left in a car, and then shortly after, everybody was saying the same thing.”

Pascall said Charles James returned home around 7 pm and went inside. He said nothing. The witness said she saw Akiel’s shoes near the door and his clothes on a chair. She placed the items in a bag which she said, she still has at home. Pascall said she was dropped off at the Maraval taxi stand later that evening. She returned to her home and called the Maraval Police Station where she made a report. “I was told by the female officer that I had to wait for 24 hours before I could report Akiel missing. I insisted that this was just a boy, but nothing could be done.” Pascall said she called two friends — Antoinette Pascall (no relation) and Anthony Davis who came in a car and took her to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. When she got there, she realised that the children’s section had been moved to the Mount Hope Hospital. She then headed to the Maraval Police Station where she saw three officers including the female officer she had spoken to over the telephone. Around 11 pm, Pascall said two police officers accompanied her to the James’ residence. The policemen, she added, called for Mrs James. The house was in darkness. Mrs James came out and the policemen questioned her. They asked to see the swimming pool. “When they came back, they said they had scraped the bottom of the pool, but there was nothing down there. They then asked for a list of the children who attended the party. Carrie (James) brought three or four names.”

Pascall said they returned to the police station. She left the police station after midnight and returned home. By that time, Akiel’s father Rawle Chambers and another man Earl Joseph known as “Bridge” turned up at Pascall’s home where she explained what had happened. Around 6 am the following day, Pascall said she received a call from the St James Police who indicated that they were on their way to meet her at home to take her to the Maraval Police Station. When she got there, Pascall was told to wait. Then came the bad news. A body was found at the bottom of the James’ swimming pool. The police were awaiting the arrival of the District Medical Officer. When the DMO arrived, Akiel’s father went to the James’ residence. The female police officer informed Pascall that the body was that of her nephew. She said she started to cry. (At this point, Pascall started to cry in the witness box and the Coroner stood down the inquest for 10 minutes). The following day, Pascall said she went to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital and saw Akiel’s body on the floor wrapped in a sheet. There was blood and a strange smell. She could not take the smell so she left.

Akiel was buried at the Western Cemetery, St James, after a funeral service at the Woodbrook Pentecostal Church. Pascall said Dr Jankey gave her a piece of paper which stated that Akiel died from asphyxia. “I learned from Dr Jankey that there was repeated anal intercourse carried out on Akiel. Akiel never showed any signs of being abused in any way. I don’t know how that could have happened to Akiel,” she added. Pascall was further questioned by the Coroner. She said the second post-mortem was carried out by Dr Des Vignes at Nella’s Funeral Home in San Juan. She was present, although she did not witness the autopsy. This was witnessed by Rawle Chambers’ brother-in-law, who was a policeman, as well as by attorney Donna Prowell. Pascall said she took the decision to have the second autopsy performed because she was not pleased with what she saw. “When I went to pick him up, I knew his body was not in the swimming pool. I thought I would have gotten more details from the first autopsy at the hospital. The paper said he died from asphyxia,” Pascall added.