A WEEK OF DEATH

CRIME once again dominated the local news this past week, as within the last eight days (between Good Friday and yesterday), six persons were murdered in various incidents in the country, bringing the tally of persons murders for the year to 68.

Amidst the tense and action-packed Test match at the Oval, in which the West Indies’ losing streak against the all-conquering Australians was extended, criminals continued their brisk trade — terrorising law-abiding citizens — as a number of robberies, shootings and hold-ups were reported in various parts of the country. However, on Thursday night, it was the criminals themselves, who were sent running for their lives as police and robbery victims took the fight to them, resulting in two bandits being shot dead in separate incidents in St Augustine and Aranjuez. Apart from the murders and the shooting deaths of the two bandits, there were also three drownings, a murder/suicide and a suicide in Penal in which a Guru (a Hindu spiritual leader), placed a gun to his mouth and pulled the trigger. The following is a look back (in chronological order) of those who died in unnatural circumstances during the past week, starting from Good Friday.

GOOD FRIDAY

* 16-year-old schoolboy Jamal “Brother” James is fatally shot at his Gonzales, Belmont home. Four heavily armed men broke into the family home shouting, “Police, police”. They gunned down James as he lay on a bed. His cousin Sheriffa Jerome, 13, was also shot and seriously wounded. No arrests have been made and some Belmont residents have sworn revenge for James’ death. Police believe the gunmen shot James by mistake as they went in search of a man who witnessed a murder.
* Toco resident Darius James, 21, was fatally stabbed in the left side of his chest during an argument outside a bar in Toco. A Form Four student has since been charged with his murder and appeared before a Sangre Grande Magistrate. The stabbing stemmed from an argument over stolen bicycle tyres.

EASTER SUNDAY

* Sherwin “Crow” Chance, 22, was almost decapitated after being shot multiple times in the head with shotguns by four men who stormed his Red Hill, Morvant home during the early morning hours. Police believe the shooting may have been revenge and linked to two other non-fatal shooting incidents which occurred in the Red Hill, Morvant district two weeks ago.
* Seventh Day Adventist Joel Constance, 30, of Ojoe Road, Sangre Grande drowns while bathing with friends at Mayaro. His body resurfaces on Tuesday.
* Stephanas Gomes, 19, of La Romaine, San Fernando drowns after diving from a boat into the Ortoire River. His body also resurfaces on Tuesday.
* Kishore Anook of Longdenville drowns while diving in a pond at Edinburgh 500. His body is retrieved moments after the drowning.
* Kerwin Joseph, 24, a tenant at the Nelson Street, Port-of-Spain apartments, is stabbed to death at his home by a female relative whom he was savagely beating and choking during a heated argument.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Geoffrey Henderson has since ordered the female suspect released from police custody and a Court Inquest held to determine the circumstances surrounding the fatal stabbing.

MONDAY

* In an incident which still has police baffled as to whether it was a murder or accident, Garthon Joseph, 25, died after falling off a cliff and his body smashed on sharp rocks 40 feet below. Reports revealed that Joseph, of Matura, was running prior to falling off the cliff. Police are yet to establish if he was pushed or he fell accidentally.
* Ashook Kallicharran, 45, of Riverside Road, Curepe dies in an accident which also left his cousin Steven Kallicharran critically injured.  Steven was reportedly driving a vehicle in company with Ashook, along King Street, St Joseph when their vehicle collided with a maxi-taxi.
* Grandmother Boodhanie Heeralal, 55, dies after being struck by a jet-ski while liming with relatives at a water park inPenal. Heerala, of Seurage Trace, Debe died at the San Fernando General Hospital, moments after the elderly was pitched some 15 feet in the air after being struck by the jet ski at Jovi’s water park.

TUESDAY

* Just weeks shy of going on retirement, Pentagon security guard Rajkumar Maharaj, 60, is shot dead at his workplace - Health Net Pharmacy in Barataria - by two bandits who relieved him of his Ruger nine-millimetre pistol. Maharaj is cremated two days later following a simple but emotional funeral service at his home.
* Andre Linsey, 22, of Pump Trace, Laventille is stabbed numerous times in the chest during a melee outside NHA offices opposite the Morvant police station. Linsey is rushed to Port-of-Spain General Hospital but is pronounced dead on arrival. Prior to the stabbing, Linsey was among a group of men involved in a stone-throwing incident after an argument broke out among the group who had gathered to collect their fortnightly URP cheques.

WEDNESDAY

* Grandmother of one, Cynthia Weilung, 60, is locked into her Team Drive, Majuba Crossing, Diego Martin home by her maid Joyce Augustus, 35, who later sets fire to the house, burning the elderly woman to death.
Augustus dies hours later at Port-of-Spain General Hospital after ingesting gramoxone. Exactly why Augustus would want to murder her employer and then commit suicide is still not known by both police and Weilung’s relatives.
* When seven-year-old Jason Lawrence saw his Endeavour Road, Chaguanas home  being swiftly engulfed by flames, he became afraid and hid under a bed. His burnt, unrecognisable corpse was discovered among the ruins of his bedroom after firemen extinguished the blaze, which was believed to be started by a candle carelessly left unattended.
* Richard “Miguel” Magliore, 14, is shot and killed at his Rose Hill, Laventille home. Another teenager, Shane Daniel, 17, has since been charged with unlawfully killing Magliore (Manslaughter). The charge was laid by Cpl Reuben Alleyne of Besson Street CID.

THURSDAY

* Bandit Hassan Mohammed of Champs Fleurs, dies at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex after being shot multiple times by Northern Division police during a shoot-out in St Augustine.
Mohammed was among a group of four bandits who were intercepted by St Joseph police along the Eastern Main Road, following which a shoot-out ensued. One of Mohammed’s accomplices was also shot and wounded while another was held by police. The fourth suspect escaped and is still at large. A pistol seized by the police is believed to be the same which was taken from security guard Rajkumar Maharaj who was murdered on Tuesday.
* Bandit Wendell “Bikeman” Simon, 36, of Santa Cruz is shot and killed by a businessman in Aranjuez. Simon and two accomplices held up well-known businessman Simboonath Kumar who was liming with his friend Vishnu Harripersad, who is also a businessman. After robbing the businessmen, Simon and his cohorts tried to drive off in Harripersad’s car, but the businessman drew his licensed firearm and opened fire, hitting Simon multiple times. He later bled to death in a drain. His accomplices managed to escape and are now being sought by police.
* Penal Guru (a Hindu spiritual leader) Naziph Ali, commits suicide at his home by placing a gun in his mouth and pulling the trigger. Ali, 40, was said to be depressed after an alleged homosexual relationship he had been having with a man was discovered by his (Ali’s) followers, who later chased the man away from Ali’s Temple.