Inquest yet to start

FIFTEEN years ago today, Ann Marie Griffith was in an accident which claimed the lives of her husband and two relatives. While many would already have had some closure, Ann Marie has not been allowed the same fortune. The lengthy delays in the magistracy continue to prolong an inquest to determine if anyone can be held accountable for the accident. A grieved Ann Marie has been religiously attending the Arima Magistrates’ Court for the last 15 years, adjournment after adjournment of the inquest, only to learn last year that the file on the matter has disappeared. She is now calling on the relevant authorities to investigate the matter and give her a New Year’s present by either starting or dismissing it.

Ann Marie explained to Newsday earlier this week, that her husband Isaac Orosco had hired the car driven by Fitzgerald Johnson, a police officer, on December 23, 1989, to take them to their Mexico Road, Wallerfield home after making Christmas groceries. Also in the vehicle were: their only child, Lekesha Griffith, then 11 years old and relatives Carl and Leon Johnson. Leon was seven years old. Ann Marie said as they were heading East and were about to turn into Mexico Road, an oncoming vehicle driven by Gary Phillips struck the car. To this day she is uncertain as to what followed.

She spent several months warded at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital (the first few weeks in a coma) and suffered from serious head injuries, a left broken jaw and left broken hip. She says she only learnt of her husband’s death in August 1990. Her husband, together with Carl and Leon died in the tragedy. Her only child, Lekesha, suffered minor injuries. The drivers of the two vehicles escaped unhurt. Ann Marie stills suffers severe headaches as a result. Ann Marie said an inquest was ordered to determine if anyone could be held culpable for the accident. But the inquest is yet to start. She has been attending court regularly, and learnt last year that the file on the matter had allegedly been lost.

She said Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar told the court prosecutor that “all the evidence has disappeared” and requested that he write the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to ask for directions on how to proceed. Ann Marie said the magistrate last called the matter in April this year, when she issued summonses for witnesses who have not been appearing. But she said since that time, the matter has been adjourned several more times by a Justice of the Peace. The matter is now listed for January 27. Ann Marie’s daughter is now married and her initial lawyer Alice Yorke Soo-Hon is now a High Court judge. She said she is unable to bring closure on the horrible matter, because of the delays, and is appealing to someone to hurry along the process.