Man pleads guilty to manslaughter

A TWENTY-FIVE-year old man yesterday pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the murder trial of Maraval resident Marilyn Pollonais, which occurred in November 1999. Although the accused, Keegan Samuel, was originally charged for murder, State attorney Jerron Joseph accepted the guilty plea to the lesser count of manslaughter. Samuel will be sentenced by High Court Judge Rajendra Narine in the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court on February 26. According to the facts presented, Samuel was in the bedroom of Pollonais’ home at Burmont Flat, Maraval on November 29, 1999, when a struggle ensued between them.

During the struggle, Samuel hit Pollonais on the head with a fire extinguisher, tied her up with a cord and a bed sheet, then fled the scene with her Nissan Bluebird car. Samuel eventually crashed into a wall at Picton Road, Laventille. During the investigation, Samuel’s fingerprints were found on the fire-extinguisher and a wooden door at the house. He was interviewed by Supt Fitzroy Frederick on March 23, 2000, where he admitted to being at the house, hitting Pollonais with a “red thing” and fleeing the scene in the vehicle. In mitigation, defence attorney Pamela Elder asked the court to be lenient with her client since he had a hard life. She explained that Samuel had a poor upbringing and that he had turned to a life of crime at an early age. She also told the court that Samuel had dropped out of school at the age of ten and had started to wander the streets. The matter was then adjourned to February 26.