Boys in court for Sean’s murder

An angry mob crying for blood and shouting obscenities gathered outside the Couva Magistrate’s Court yesterday as two boys appeared before Magistrate Marcia Ceasar-Ayres charged with the murder of six-year-old Sean Luke Lumfai.

Appearing for Sean’s murder were a 16-year-old boy of Orange Valley, Waterloo and a 13-year-old of Lady Young Road, Morvant.

Police tried to control the crowd of over 400 men and women who rushed the gates in an attempt to gain entrance to the court compound, as the police car carrying the boys arrived at about 9 am. The crowd also had to be restrained in their attempts to get inside the courtroom jostling with members of the media.

Ceasar-Ayres attended to other matters before calling the case against the two boys at 10.20 am. Immediately, the police ordered the courtroom cleared as the matter was being heard in “juvenile court.” Only the accused, their relatives, Sean’s relatives, police officers, attorneys and a member of the National Family Services were allowed to remain in court. The 16-year-old was accompanied by his mother and stepfather. Attorney Darril Giles, who said he was appearing as a friend of the court, told the magistrate that the family of the younger boy had asked him to represent them. He added that the two boys were seeking legal aid.

The hearing itself lasted a mere five minutes with Ceasar-Ayres reading the charge which alleged that on a date between March 26 and March 28, the accused murdered Sean Luke Lumfai at Orange Valley. They were not called upon to enter a plea to the charge which was laid indictably by acting Cpl Alexis Garcia. The matter was postponed to April 12 with the accused being remanded to the Youth Training Centre at Golden Grove. Before going to the YTC the two were taken to the Couva Police Station to speak to a psychiatrist. Giles told the media that he spoke to both boys and explained the charges and court procedure to them. The younger boy told Giles he wanted to go to school and to church.

From as early as 7.30 am, people gathered outside the court and many shouted abuses at the police officers for shielding the faces of the two boys who arrived in a police car. People came from all over the country but mainly from Central.

A large contingent of policemen tried to maintain order and only people with court matters were allowed onto the court’s compound. As soon as the police car carrying the two boys, who were seated in the backseat, was spotted there was a mad rush to get a glimpse of them. The crowd was fiery in its demands for justice. As the crowd grew the po-lice officers, including members of the Crime Suppression Unit, armed with automatic weapons and batons took up vantage points around the courthouse and in the streets.

Sean’s body was found on March 28 under a patch of grass in a canefield 200 feet from his home at Henry Street (West), Orange Valley. According to the autopsy, the six-year-old bled to death after he was buggered and sodomised with a cane stalk which ruptured his internal organs. His mother Pauline Lumfai was not in court yesterday. Her sister Marilyn said she was under medication and was resting at home.