Man to hang for killing wife, son

The words of Justice Anthony Carmona cut through the deafening silence in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Criminal Court last night as he passed sentence on a Diego Martin man who was found guilty of murdering his wife and one-year-old son three years ago.

Forty-two-year-old Peter Cadette stood without expression in the prisoner’s dock after a 12-member jury, which deliberated for almost two hours, returned with a guilty verdict just after 7 pm.

Cadette was on trial for the murder of his wife Grace Barbour-Cadette and his son Jabari. Both were found chopped to death at Blue Basin, Diego Martin, on March 10, 2002.

The trial, which lasted six weeks, ended yesterday and relatives of the deceased wept openly in the courtroom on hearing the guilty verdict. Cadette, who was immediately taken away by courtroom police officers, silently walked off staring at the ground, but with a prominent smile on his face.

During the trial, Cadette testified that he killed his wife following the deterioration of their marriage. According to Cadette, his wife often accused him of being unfaithful, and eventually refused to have sex with him.

Also testifying in the trial was pathologist, Dr Hughvon des Vignes, who told the court that both mother and son died as a result of multiple chop wounds.

The pathologist’s report revealed that Cadette’s wife had been chopped several times on the neck, while his baby son’s neck was almost severed.

Representing the State were attorneys Kathy-Ann Waterman-Latchoo and Joy Balkaran, while attorney Hayden St Clair Douglas and Wendy Dougdeen-Bally represented Cadette.