Murder accused, a ‘really good man’

A WOMAN yesterday described her boyfriend, who is charged with the murder of her one-year-old son, as a “really good man” whom she loved and who was a better father to her deceased son Tyrese Browne, than Browne’s biological father, Moses. Alicia Browne also depicted her home environment as one of “tension and hostility.” She lives with her cousins, mother and grandmother. She also admitted under cross-examination by defence attorney Evans Welch, that certain members of her household wanted her to get rid of her son, while she was pregnant with him. The court also heard that during her relationship with the accused, Hakim Sergeant, she became pregnant for him and gave birth to a girl, who is now two years old. She also admitted before the court that during her pregnancy, with Sergeant’s daughter, members of her household again wanted her to have an abortion.

Sergeant, 27, a security guard of Ravine Road, Petit Valley, is before Justice Devan Rampersad in the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court charged with the murder of his stepson Tyrese Browne. The child sustained injuries on the night of November 28, 2002, and died on December 4 at the Mt Hope Medical Sciences Complex. The prosecution’s case is being led by Kathy Ann Waterman-Latchoo and Shoba Jamuna. According to the victim’s mother, she and her son frequently visited Sergeant at the St Joseph Boys’ RC School at Abercromby Street in St Joseph, where he worked as a security guard.

On the night of Friday November 28, 2002, after Sergeant returned with her son after taking him for a walk, she noticed bruises on the back of his head and on his chest, while changing his diaper. The child was not breathing and was taken to hospital. She also recalled that on the two previous nights — Wednesday and Thursday — she had also noticed bruises on the child after Sergeant took him for a walk. His explanation on these occasions was that the child had fallen.

Welch, instructed by Brent Ali, questioned Browne extensively on the social aspect of her life, with particular reference to her home environment. She admitted that she was not happy at home  and did not have a good relationship with a particular cousin. Browne acknowledged under examination that she was not bright, was unemployed and that on many occasions, Sergeant would buy milk and other items for Tyrese. She said Sergeant regularly cradled Tyrese affectionately, as loving fathers do with their babies. Browne told the court she had never seen Sergeant hurt her son, but recalled on one occasion that she had left the baby on a table in the school and the baby later fell off the table. On the night Tyrese was having difficulty breathing, Sergeant tried to revive the child by administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, the court heard. The case resumes today.