Woman ordered to stand trial

SALINA SAHADATH, the woman accused of attempting to murder her six-year-old step-son by beating him on the head with a vehicle wheel-spanner, was yesterday committed by a Siparia magistrate to stand trial in the High Court.

The order was handed down to Sahadath, 25, by Senior Magistrate Lucina Cardenas-Ragoonanan who presided over the preliminary inquiry which lasted some 16 months. The inquiry saw some 12 prosecution witnesses, including the young victim, Nicholai Sieunarine, testify on the events of  the offence which was allegedly committed on April 10, 2002. On that day, Sahadath, a former waitress, allegedly gagged the child with his socks, tied his hands with his shoe laces then took a wheel-spanner from the trunk of her car, which she used to beat him on his head and face. She allegedly committed the act at Scott’s Road, Penal, after taking the child out from school early. Police said the bleeding child was rescued by a farmer and an ice-cream vendor who were standing nearby. Nicholai’s mother, Reena, had migrated to the United States and Sahadath was then living with the child’s father at their home at Sukhan Trace, Barrackpore. Nicholai was subsequently warded at the San Fernando General Hospital for a week. Neither Sieunarine nor his parents were present in court yesterday when the order was issued to Sahadath. however, a sister and a friend of the accused woman sat in the public gallery of the First Court.

Yesterday’s hearing commenced with police prosecutor Sgt David Cooper calling the State’s final witness, police complainant, Cpl Anthony Monsegue. After Cpl Monsegue gave evidence for over an hour, Sahadath’s attorney Ramnarine Surjansingh, was called upon to conduct cross-examination but he declined. Magistrate Cardenas-Ragoonanan then called upon Sahadath to indicate to the court whether she had any alibi or defence witnesses to testify on her behalf. The accused woman replied that she had none and also declined to take the witness stand. After a few minutes’ deliberation, Magistrate Cardenas-Ragoonanan ruled that a prima facie case was made out by the prosecution against Sahadath. The magistrate then committed the accused to stand trial at the next sitting of the Assizes.