Deidreann Layne, a 33-year-old woman of Sangre Grande, was murdered on Friday night at Turure farm when she was stabbed in the chest and her throat slit by a man.

Her former common-in-law husband, 21-year-old Paul Cox, a contractor of Foster Road, Sangre Grande, who also suffered stab wounds was shot in the head and is now in critical condition at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. According to Police reports, Layne, a mother of two, left her Coalmine home around 10 am on Friday to visit a friend at Valencia to pay for a “Sou-Sou” in which she was participating. They later learned that after Layne finished her mission, she and a female friend, identified only as “Carol,” went to Valencia Junction where they were waiting for transport to Sangre Grande.

While waiting there around 6 pm, a car pulled up and a man known to Layne came out and ordered both women to get into the vehicle. The man then ordered the driver to proceed to Sangre Grande. On reaching Turure, he asked the driver to stop the car. The man alighted and then pulled out Layne, whipping out a knife in the process. Relatives said “Carol” told them that she tried pulling back Layne but that she received a slash on her hand in the process. The driver then drove off, while the man dragged Layne along the Turure Road. The man then took Layne to a farm where he reportedly used a knife to slit her throat then stabbed her in the chest. Nearby farmers were alerted by the commotion and summoned the police.  A farmer said he heard what seemed like a row between Layne and the man.

A party of policemen responded immediately. On their arrival at the scene they found a man lying on top of Layne’s body with a knife stuck in his throat. They were in a pool of blood. Believing that both persons were dead, the police officers touched the man, who they said suddenly flew up in a rage and attacked some of the officers. He was shot in his head in the process. The wounded man was taken by the Emergency Health Service(EHS) ambulance to the Sangre Grande Hospital from where he was transferred to Port-of-Spain General Hospital. District Medical Officer (DMO) Dr Chalam viewed Layne’s body and ordered its removal to the Sangre Grande Hospital Mortuary. A post morthem is expected to be performed tomorrow at the Forensic Sciences Centre.

When Sunday Newsday visited the Layne family at Coalmine yesterday the atmosphere at the home was one of complete silence with the dead woman’s family in a state of shock. Crying, Layne’s mother, Joycelyn, told Sunday Newsday that she knew that her daughter had recently ended a relationship with a man. Brother of the deceased, Cassicus Cordner and sister Alana Maxwell said their sister was kind and loving, working to have her two children Keron, 11, and Damien, 10, have a good education. She worked at Albrosco Farm, Valencia. Both Keron and Damien said their mother went to St Francis Primary School in Sangre Grande, which they attend, and gave them five dollars and told them she would see them later in the afternoon. “That was the last thing she said to us,” Layne’s children said, pointing out that she was a nice person, who would be missed. Sgt Fermin Roy is continuing investigations.

Both the Government and Opposition hope the upcoming local government elections, due by July, will be a verdict on the national government’s performance.

In three successive general elections, the PNM gradually increased in share of votes cast nationally over 2000, 2001 and 2002, but does the PNM still have this winning momentum? Or has the national government lost popularity such that electors register a protest vote against the ruling party’s local government candidates?  PNM candidate for Montrose in Chaguanas Borough Council, Etienne Mendez, said the local election will follow the last general election which had favoured the PNM. The PNM, he added, would further gain from the population having recently witnessed the party in government. UNC chairman Wade Mark disagreed. Citing CEPEP, Caroni (1975) Limited, crime, the Jamaat al Muslimeen, and  the proposed re-location of Parliament from the Red House, Mark said: “The population is very weary of this government. It is losing credibility.” So, with Trinidad’s regional councils evenly divided seven to seven between the ruling PNM and Opposition UNC after the 1999 local government elections, each party will be trying to tilt the balance in its favour.

The PNM now controls: Port-of-Spain (12 PNM seats to zero UNC) , San Fernando (7 PNM to 2UNC), Arima (7PNM to zeroUNC), Diego Martin (9PNM to zero UNC), San Juan/Laventille (7PNM to 2 UNC defected to National Team Unity), Tunapuna/Piarco (8PNM to 4UNC) and Point Fortin (5PNM to zero UNC). The UNC controls: Chaguanas (7UNC to 1PNM), Mayaro/Rio Claro (4UNC to 2PNM), Sangre Grande (4UNC to 3PNM), Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo (11UNC to zeroPNM), Siparia (4UNC to 4PNM, decided by ballot), Princes Town (9UNC to zeroPNM), and Penal/Debe (8UNC to zeroPNM). The councils most vulnerable to change are Sangre Grande and Siparia, both held by the UNC. PNM chairman, Martin Joseph, said candidates for most councils had been selected, with a few exceptions. In the Port-of-Spain City Council PNM candidates for two districts had not ben selected. Also candidates had not yet been chosen for two districts in San Fernando Borough Council, one district in the Couva-Tabaquite-Talparo Regional Council, one in Mayaro-Rio Claro Regional Corporation, one in Arima Borough Council and two in Diego Martin Regional Corporation.

UNC chairman, Wade Mark, said the party was about 90 percent finished wth its screening process. “The number of seats has been increased from 124 to 126 and we are contesting all. We have a few finishing touches for selection for San Juan/Laventille, Port-of-Spain, and Diego Martin and we ought to be completed by Friday. We have a first draft manifesto which we will publish in about two weeks time. We have a campaign committee under Chadresh Sharma and Dr Tim Gopeesingh.” The most marginal councils are Sangre Grande and Siparia. Won by four seats to three in 1999, in Sangre Grande the UNC had just barely won two of its seats, winning Manzanilla by just 14 votes and Sangre Grande North-East by 55 votes. In 1999 Siparia was tied four to four  with control of the council being decided by chance. The UNC is vulnerable in Apex/Fyzabad where it had a 149 margin, while the PNM is vulnerable in Siparia East/San Francique South which it won on a 86-vote margin. Mark said that the Opposition was expecting Prime Minister, Patrick Manning, to announce the election date on Friday, which they predicted would be held on Monday July 7.

THE behaviour of parliamentarians was yesterday identified as one of the causes of delinquency among children by Independent Senator Ramesh Deosaran, who noted that it was difficult to preach to children about delinquency and violence, when they see the Parliament becoming a violent jungle.

He also called for a march against those politicians who refuse to support kidnapping legislation. Deosaran was the feature speaker at the National Parent Teacher Association’s (NPTA) convention at the Jean Pierre Complex. The convention’s theme “Crime, everybody’s business 2003 and beyond” was preceded by a march against crime. The march began at the Croisee in San Juan and ended at the Complex. Deosaran reminded members of the purpose of their march and called for marches against kidnappings and against politicians who do not support kidnapping legislation.

Deosaran said in every area there were lines, which when crossed brought about punishment and it was time for the lines of discipline to be restored. He noted that the lines of discipline and civility, including in Parliament, were being crossed with viciousness and shamelessness which needed to be corrected. He said delinquency did not start with children, but at the homes. He said it entered the schools and when the behaviour of parliamentarians are seen by very observant children, delinquency flows to the streets.  He said it was therefore difficult to admonish children for verbal outbursts when they see the Parliament becoming a violent jungle. He said Trinidad and Tobago was a nation of hypocrites because even as we preach to the children about delinquency and violence, we as adults showed those attributes which we needed to rid from ourselves.

Referring to a study by the Centre for Criminology done last year on the relationships between parents and teachers in secondary schools, Deosaran said 40 percent of the teachers blamed parents for an increase in delinquency and 60 percent of parents blamed the teachers for increase in delinquency and the poor academic performance of their children. He said it was time for both parents and teachers to stop blaming each other and work more for mutual love and respect. He also said parents needed to give more critical support to teachers. Referring to the recent distribution of condoms to children, Professor Deosaran said he wished for a kind of condom to protect minds from evil around it.

On the issue of PTAs, Deosaran said it appeared it was only for parents and not teachers, there were more women than men, that the first duty of some parents was to go to schools and cuff and attack teachers and that the PTA was not yet having an influence on education policies. He went on to call for a more vibrant PTA and challenged the NPTA to develop a plan to get a $500,000 grant from government, to have more men at meetings, set up PTAs in 60 percent of the schools in the next three years, reduce delinquency, be more vibrant and powerful and to have a greater influence on educational policies.

Minister of National Security Howard Chin Lee who also spoke at the convention, said crime was everybody’s business and as such called on everyone to make a contribution to assist in ridding society of crimes. He said government would not surrender in fighting crime as he announced that the 24 hour joint police/army patrols in Laventille will continue and he anticipated that the action which he termed drastic, will continue indefinitely. He also identified poverty levels, parental support, education and values as some of the factors which impact on a person’s inclination to lawlessness.