Weekend of death

In what has been a particularly violent and bloody weekend, six persons including the son of a millionaire businessman, lost their lives in three vehicular accidents, while three men were murdered in separate incidents.

Ironically, the country's last three murders, which occurred over the weekend, came  a mere two days before National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee, is due  to deliver tonight an Address to the Nation, outlining his latest and much-vaunted anti-crime plan. The bloody weekend has sent the year's murder tally to 23, while for the year, there have been 16 road fatalities.

In the first murder, a 34-year-old man was shot to death while lying next to his pregnant common-law wife in the bedroom of  their Malick home on Friday night.

The second murder occurred in the south-land early yesterday morning, when a teenager was stabbed five times during a Carnival fete in La Romaine.

The third murder also occurred Sunday night when a Laventille man was cut down in a hail of bullets while walking home with his common-law wife, who was also shot and wounded. Up to late yesterday, no suspect had been arrested for these murders.

The murder spree began around 11 pm Friday, when Curtis "Lalloo" Ramkissoon, 34, was shot to death in the bedroom of his home on Council Man Drive, Upper Seventh Avenue, Malick. At the time he was sleeping with his eight-month pregnant common-law wife, Angela Clarke, 29.

Clarke was forced to dive under the bed as bullets hit her husband. When the smoke cleared, Ramkissoon lay dead, while Clarke screamed for help. Clarke is expecting her fourth child (Ramkissoon's first) next month.

Around 10.30 pm  Sunday, Shirmack Samuel, 19, of Uriah Butler Street, New Village, Point Fortin lost the battle for life at Hospital moments after being stabbed five times while liming with friends at the Caribbean Water Fete, Maska compound in La Romaine.

According to reports, Samuel was stabbed three times in the back and twice in the stomach after someone snatched a gold chain from around his neck. During the fete, police reported at least 16 stabbings.

Half an hour later, the third murder occurred when James Larode, 34, was gunned down in a hail of bullets while walking down Pashley Street, Laventille in company with his common-law wife Natalie Duncan, who was also shot and wounded.  An autopsy revealed Larode was shot five times. The weekend road-fatality spree started  around 3.30 am  Saturday when 28-year-old art student George Aboud Jnr - son of millionaire businessman and real estate mogul George Aboud, 43, was cut in half, after he was thrown from his motorcycle and onto a retaining cable connected to a light pole, off  the Western Main Road, Chaguaramas.

Aboud Jnr met death shortly after leaving the "Bazodee Friday" fete at Pier 1.

According to reports, Aboud Jnr was riding his sports-model motorcycle along the Western Main Road, Chaguaramas when on reaching the Kayak Centre, the motorcycle struck a bump in the road.

He was thrown into the air and onto the stabilising-cable.

Undertakers had to use two body bags to remove Aboud Jnr's remains. Aboud was buried yesterday following a funeral service  St Theresa's RC Church, Wood-brook.

The next accident to occur on the weekend claimed the lives of three young people and left a fourth unconscious and battling for life in hospital.