Hinds feels pain for dad

Hinds said he would assist Jerome Henry, father of Josiah Henry whose body washed out to sea in floodwaters on September 2, with legal representation and provide his family with “whatever support” he could.

“Things could have been done differently so as not to further disadvantage the family.

I will now have to fill the breach his absence would have left as best as I can as the Member of Parliament, to give them the family the support he would have given had he been present,” he said.

Hinds was speaking yesterday at a brief ceremony announcing his sponsorship of cricket uniforms to the Laventille Legions at the Erica Street playground, Laventille.

Henry appeared before the Port-of-Spain Magistrate Court on Wednesday charged with wilful neglect of Josiah and Josiah’s sister, Christine Gray, seven. It is alleged that Henry left their Serraneau Road, Belmont home for work on September 2, leaving both children unsupervised, and wilfully neglected Josiah which caused him injuries resulting in his death, and that Henry also wilfully neglected Gray in a manner causing her to suffer injuries to her physical and mental health.

Josiah fell into the drain after a heavy downpour on September 2 and his body surfaced of the Port-of-Spain Waterfront the next day.

Hinds said he was concerned about the psychology and absence of sensitivity in this matter as the police “swooped down” on Henry’s home and arrested him while he was grieving the loss of his son, and as a former police officer and as an attorney-at-law, he felt the police could have proceeded differently.

He said it also pained him that the magistrate granted Henry $75,000 bail, which the family could not afford.

“When I consider there are people who would have committed serious crimes in this country, who would have gotten less bail and is at liberty, it really pained me,” she said.

In addition, according to Hinds, he could not persuade the Commissioner of Prisons to allow Henry to attend Josiah’s funeral which took place on Friday at Guides Funeral Home, Piccadilly Street, Portof- Spain.

Hinds stressed that he understood the importance of the law, of police work, and of protecting children from negligent parents, but all the reports he received was that Henry was a loving, caring father, and he felt the matter could have been approached with more humanity and sensitivity.

Henry’s sister, Joanne, told Sunday Newsday that she had not spoken to Henry but heard he was allowed to see Josiah before the funeral. She added she had conflicting reports as to why he did not attend the event itself so could not comment on the matter.

However she wanted to thank Hinds and councillor Jason Alexander for continually checking on them, Henry’s supervisors and co-workers at Payless Grocery on Charlotte Street, Port-of- Spain for their calls of concern and support, and president of the Single Fathers Association, Rhondall Feeles for his assistance.