Woman faces the hangman

A WOMAN who was sentenced to hang with her husband two years ago for murdering their daughter and dumping the body in a latrine pit, lost her appeal against the death sentence yesterday. The Court of Appeal affirmed the death sentence on Chandroutie London, but adjourned the appeal of her husband Kenrick London to a date to be fixed. The Appeal Court, comprising Justices Roger Hamel-Smith, Stanley John, and Paula Mae-Weekes, dismissed the appeal in less than two hours. Justice Hamel-Smith said the court was not persuaded by the arguments, ruling that the two grounds of appeal had no merit. Reasons are to be given at a later date, Justice Hamel-Smith added.

Dana Seetahal appeared for the State, Theodore Guerra SC for Kenrick London, and Keith Scotland for Chandroutie London. Scotland argued two grounds, citing misdirections by the trial judge. The Londons were sentenced to death in the San Fernando High Court on April 4, 2003, for the murder of their daughter Vidya. At one time, the Londons lived together at a house at Caratal Road, Gasparillo. During that time, daughter Vidya was born. On the morning of December 2, 1997, the police went to the home of the Londons where they broke down the door of a latrine and dug the area up. A brownish bag with a piece of wire around it was unearthed, and inside of it was found to contain bones, which belonged to Vidya. The police also found a large stone with a piece of wire around it, beneath the bag.

The case against the appellants consisted of circumstantial evidence and written and oral statements. The prosecution led evidence from neighbours that the Londons had a baby girl around 1993, but the child disappeared within the next year. When asked, the Londons said the girl had gone to live with relatives abroad. Both appellants were arrested on November 30, 1997, and taken to the Chaguanas Police Station. Both appellants were asked about Vidya, and they reported to the police that Vidya was staying with one Eleanor Ali. The police brought in Ali to confront the Londons. She admitted knowing them, but denied that she was ever given the child.

Both appellants gave cautionary statements to the police, took investigators to where Vidya’s remains were found, made oral statements at the scene, including admissions to the pathologist that the remains were those of their daughter. In her statement to the police, Chandroutie said she was at home in Caratal when she wrapped Vidya in a blanket or a plastic bag and tied a stone with a piece of rope to the bag. She then dropped Vidya “alive” into the latrine hole. On the morning that the remains were found, Chandroutie told the police, “this is the bag we buried Vidya in.” Chandroutie gave evidence in her defence and called psychiatrist Dr Iqbal Ghany. She denied giving any written statements to the police voluntarily.

She said she was made to sign a statement after she had been in custody, and was feeling dizzy and disoriented. She was not given any food, bath or rest. She said she never made any oral statements on the scene at Caratal. Chandroutie claimed it was her husband who killed Vidya in her presence by suffocating her with his hand. She said she tried to stop him, but he hit her. She never told anyone because her husband had complete psychological dominance over her. She said he was often violent to her when she disagreed with him, and that he also engaged in occult practices.