Mother’s murder confession read in court

A CONFESSION statement by murder accused Chandrouti London in which she admitted to wrapping her baby daughter before throwing her alive in a latrine was admitted into evidence on Monday.

The statement was read to Justice Ivor Archie and mixed 12-member jury in the Third Criminal San Fernando Assizes where London and her husband Kenrick are on trial for the child’s murder. It was admitted into evidence during the testimony of Sgt Edwin Noel. Chandrouti made the confession to Sgt Noel in the presence of other officers at the Chaguanas CID and it was recorded around 12.10 am on December 2, 1997. In it Chandrouti stated: “On the 25th October, 1993, that was when my first child was born good and everything in Couva Hospital. She didn’t born with any sickness or anything. I spend a week in the hospital with high blood pressure. “When she was born we stay a good long while in California and then we went to Caratal to rent and then one day I wrapped up child Vidya either in a blanket or in a plastic bag, tie a piece of rope over it and then tie the rope on a big stone and drop her alive in the toilet hole outside in the yard ...”

When asked by police how old the child was at the time, Chandroutie responded that she thought she was about five months old. Asked what date the baby was thrown down the toilet hole she replied: “I don’t know. I can’t remember the date”. Chandroutie was defended by attorneys Learie Alleyne Forte, instructed by Stedson Jack, and Kenrick is defended by attorney Wilston Campbell.