Westmoorings inquest put off again

THE INQUEST into the death of teenager Phillip Seerattan has been adjourned to January 13. When the matter was called yesterday, Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls, presiding as Coroner, was informed that the forensic analyst was not present in court.

Sgt Kenneth Cordner, court prosecutor, said the court has been waiting for the last six times on the analyst. He asked that a summons be issued for the expert to attend court so that his evidence could be taken. Patricia Roberts, who is representing the Seerattan family, asked that the investigator or two police officers be called to give evidence. But Mc Nicolls said he did not want to adopt such a course. He said he preferred to wait for the expert to give evidence before the final witnesses are called. Mc Nicolls agreed to the request for a fresh summons to be issued to the forensic expert to attend court on the next occasion. Seer-attan, 17, was shot dead by police at the International School at Westmoorings on November 20, 2002.