Father feeds family poison

Annand Seepersad’s love for his daughter Lilly, seven, and son Adesh, six, turned sour yesterday when he force-fed them poison before drinking some himself.

Lilly, half dressed in shorts, died in her bed at the humble wooden Vega de Oropouche home, where she and Adesh went to spend Father’s Day with Seepersad.

Seepersad stumbled out of the house, but died in the surrounding tall grass.

Adesh is now fighting for his life at the Sangre Grande Hospital.

That a father wanted to kill his children was a horrific thought which no one in the tranquil village, on the outskirts of Sangre Grande, could come to terms with.

The brother and sister arrived at Seepersad’s home on Saturday so they could spend time with him for Father’s Day, relatives said yesterday.

The children lived with their mother Seeta, who separated from Seepersad one month ago. He tried but failed to get his wife to reconcile.

Stunned relatives said they saw no signs of what Seepersad had planned.

Police believe that Seepersad, at about 3.30 pm, forced Lilly to drink gramoxone and then placed her on a bed.

He then ordered Adesh to drink the weedicide, before he drank some himself.

Seepersad ran to the home of a neighbouring relative to say what he had done when he collapsed in his grassy yard and died. Children who were passing by saw him frothing from the mouth and alerted their relatives. By the time neighbours got to him Seepersad was dead. They also found Lilly dead but Adesh was still alive.

Attempts to contact Seeta were unsuccessful yesterday.

Seepersad’s relatives said he earned a living as a handyman and also made pottery. He had a nickname — Postman.

Some spoke of frequent quarrels between Seepersad and his wife and said he became frustrated when she and the children left.

Dr Roxanne Tantaco viewed Lilly and Seepersad’s bodies and had them sent to the Forensic Science Centre, St James for autopsies.

Cpls Lawrence, Fuentes, and PCs Ramdeen and Osuna were part of the investigative team at the scene.

The murder/suicide brought a horrific end to Father’s Day celebrations for families in Vega de Oropouche.