After 25 years in prison:

TWO MEN who murdered a 60-year-old woman 25 years ago when they were teenagers, were released from the Port-of-Spain State Prison on Saturday morning.

Ian Seepersad and Roodal Panchoo walked out of the State Prison although the review of their 30-year sentences was scheduled to be heard before Madame Justice Alice Yorke-Soo Hon this morning.

Mark Seepersad, one of the attorneys representing the two men, confirmed to Newsday yesterday that his clients were freed.

Seepersad said he received a call on Saturday morning that his clients were freed. Accompanied by attorney Gerald Ramdeen, he said they met with their two clients at their San Fernando offices hours later.

Seepersad said his clients were happy to be out of prison and were looking forward to starting their lives all over. He revealed that Panchoo, a first class tailor, has a contract waiting on him, while Seepersad, a builder, will be employed with an engineering company.

Seepersad said his clients will attend today’s sitting at the Port-of-Spain High Court. He said his clients were the longest serving teen killers in the penal system.

Seepersad, 42, and Panchoo, 41, were found guilty in 1986 by Justice Mustapha Ibrahim in the San Fernando Assizes and ordered to be detained at the President’s Pleasure for the murder of market vendor Sumintra Seepersad. They worked as labourers for Sumintra.

On March 7, 1981, Seepersad and Panchoo met Sumintra at the San Fernando market and helped her offload her goods to sell. They then went to her Piparo home and killed her 90-year-old mother, but they were never tried for that offence.

Seepersad, who was then 17, and Panchoo, 16, searched the house but found nothing of value. They waited in ambush for Sumintra to return. When she did, Panchoo strangled her with a piece of cloth, while Seepersad hit her on the head with a rolling pin. Panchoo then slit the woman’s throat with a knife. They later left the house with $94 and a pair of gold bracelets, which they later sold.

Seepersad and Panchoo were tried and convicted for Sumintra’s murder. They appealed and lost in the local Court of Appeal. They lost their final appeal before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Following their convictions, Seepersad and Panchoo were sent to Carrera Island Prison for an indefinite period. Their break in life came in 2003 following a Privy Council decision that teen killers must be detained at the Court’s Pleasure and not the President’s Pleasure.

They filed a constitutional motion in 2003 in which they sought a review of their incarceration. In 2005, Madame Justice Mira Dean-Armorer, presiding in the Port-of-Spain High Court, ruled in their favour and ordered that a review be conducted on their behalf.

The review started before Justice Soo Hon and on February 1 this year, she ordered that both Seepersad and Panchoo serve 30 years in jail dating back from their conviction in 1986. However, the 30-year sentence was due to expire on July 1, but seven days were taken off the sentence and Seepersad and Panchoo were released on Saturday.