Appeal Court lashes violence against women

The Court of Appeal yesterday expressed concern about the level of violence against women in Trinidad, noting that it was much worse locally than in England. The Court comprising Justices Lionel Jones (president), Margot Warner and Wendell Kangaloo, made the observation while dealing with the remitted appeal of Bimal Roy Paria, from the Privy Council. Paria had slaughtered his wife, her mother and sister by beating them on their heads with a piece of wood. He was found guilty and sentenced to death by the local court, but the Law Lords of the Privy Council said that there was a defect in the trial judge’s direction on “good character” and reduced the murder conviction to manslaughter. The Privy Council remitted the matter to the local Court of Appeal for sentencing.

Yesterday, Paria’s lawyers Desmond Allum SC and Rajiv Persad asked the court to sentence Paria to 12 years, starting from date of conviction. Allum argued that Paria should be treated as if he had pleaded guilty, and as if he had lost his self control and killed the three women. And further, that Paria was a person of good character. Allum submitted several testimonials, including one from Paria’s former employer, a pundit and others. During Allum’s submission, he had referred to an English case involving violence against  women when the court made its observation about violence against local women. Deputy DPP Carla Brown Antoine felt that 12 years was too light a sentence for a triple woman killer. She directed the court to the local and similar case of Foster Skerette, who had killed his wife and son, but was found guilty of manslaughter for his wife’s death and guilty of murder for the death of his son. However, he was given a life sentence with an order that he not be released before serving 20 years. She called on the court to deal with Paria in similar fashion.

During the course of submission, the court described the killing of the three women as  “slaughter” by Paria.The Court will announce its sentence at a later date. On July 24, 1998, Paria went to the home of his mother-in-law Seeta Arjoon, at Farm Road, St Joseph, where his wife Asha was also staying, to drop off his six-year-old daughter, Victoria. Seeta was sitting in a shed outside her house speaking with a friend, when  Paria arrived with Victoria. He asked for his wife Asha. Seeta Arjoon replied: “She is bathing in the back.” He replied, “I am not speaking to you.”  A “cuss out” between them ensued. Seeta threw a stone at Paria but missed. He did the same and also missed. He then picked up a piece of wood and proceeded to beat Seeta  on her head. When Asha came, she asked Paria why he was beating her mother,  but responded by beating her too. Both women fell to the ground and died. Asha’s 23-year-old sister Anna then came and asked Paria why he beat “Asha and Mamma,” and that he should leave them alone. She left and was walking on the road when Paria attacked her, also beating her on the head with the piece of wood. She died a month later at Mt Hope hospital.