Police lay charges

MARLON KING, 33, step-father of Emily Anamanthodo, four, appeared before deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington at the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court yesterday, charged with murdering the child.

Also appearing in court, was Emily’s 18-year-old mother Anita Anamanthodo, to answer three counts of neglecting her daughter. While the couple appeared separately before the magistrate in a packed court, a funeral service was being held elsewhere for the child.

King was brought to court at about 9.30 am, but it was not until around 11 am that his matter was called before Wellington in the First Court.

Dressed in a red T-shirt with white stripes and a black pants, King remained handcuffed as he stood scowling before Wellington. As the charge of murdering Emily was read to him by Wellington, the accused remained stone-faced. The charge read that King murdered Emily Anamanthodo on Monday May 15, at Ste Madeleine Road in Marabella. He was not called upon to plea since the charge was laid indictably.

Court Prosecutor Sgt Harricharan Cassie complained to Magistrate Wellington that King did not want his fingerprints impression taken by the police. King told the magistrate that he would only agree to his fingerprints being taken if his attorney was present.

“Sir, I ask for my lawyer to be present,” King said. When asked by Magistrate Wellington whether he had an attorney, King said Ian Gray was representing him. Gray rose at the lawyer’s table and said nothing was finalised as yet. The attorney had a brief conversation with King following which, Gray said that King agreed to be fingerprinted.

He was then remanded into custody until May 29.

Three hours later, King’s common-law wife Anita — the mother of Emily — was also escorted to the court where she hid her face from members of the public who jeered at her. Dressed in a blue blouse and jeans, Anamanthodo appeared before Justice of the Peace Balkissoon who read to her three charges of child neglect which occurred on a date unknown between 2004 and May 15, 2006.

The mother was denied bail and remanded into custody to reappear before a magistrate today. Both King and Anamanthodo were charged by a Homicide Bureau detective.