12 Brits who will never return to TT

John Hughes was quite clear that the group, all from Cambridge in the UK, will not return to these shores. The robbery took place in February and reluctantly, they returned to Trinidad last week to testify at the trial.

They were promised security when they returned. They got it. They were kept at the Marriott Hotel, and provided with security when they came to court. Even Greer Assam of the Tourism Development Company (TDC) provided some comfort to the visitors to ensure that their stay this time was relaxing. The visitors returned to the UK on Friday night.

Last week, Errol Sealey, 21, of Phillip Street, Maraval, was sentenced to seven years in prison by Magistrate Avason Quinlan in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Magistrates’ Court for his involvement in the robbery.

He was charged with robbing John Hughes, Stella Hughes, Susan Bates, Wendy Parrish, Michael Parrish, and Michael Bates, of a quantity of English and Trinidad and Tobago currency, cameras, cell phones, jewelry and other items valued at more than $250,000 during a robbery at Maracas Bay, on February 28.

The victims, along with six other persons, came to Trinidad to attend the formal opening of a villa owned by Gerard Meijas at Maracas Bay. They were also in Trinidad for the Carnival celebrations.

At about 9.30 pm, on February 28, the victims were seated on the verandah when they observed five masked men approaching. One of the men was armed with a gun which he placed to the forehead of John Hughes.

The victims were ordered to lie on the floor of the verandah and ordered to remove all items of jewelry, watches and rings. The five men then proceeded to rob the six foreigners of cash and other items.

They were also threatened by the five men with one saying, “We go cause murder here, who it gonna be?” The six foreigners were forced into a bedroom where they were locked. Twenty minutes later, Meijas, proprietor of the villa, arrived and found his guests in the locked bedroom.

He took them to the Maracas Bay Police Station where the victims made a report. Sgt Frank Mc Millan and Corporal Auburn Nash were detailed to investigate.

On March 2, the police executed a warrant at Sealey’s home and informed him that he was a suspect in the robbery. He was taken to the Barataria Police Station where he gave a 14-page statement explaining the entire plan and execution of the robbery.

The police executed warrants at several homes and recovered some of the loot. They also found items at Sealey’s home which he said he bought with his portion of the loot.

Recalling the incident to Sunday Newsday, Hughes said he remembered the day of the attack quite clearly. He said the 12 of them had gone out for the day. They returned to Maracas Bay and some of them started to cook. Three couples returned to Port-of-Spain to have dinner.

“We were all relaxed on the balcony when all of a sudden, I saw these five men coming from the shadows. They were all wearing masks. What next happened has left us so traumatised that my wife Stella got sick when we decided to come back.

“We suffered physically and mentally, in some ways we will never be the same again.”

Hughes said a gun was pointed to his head and someone stepped on his back when he was ordered to lie on the ground. Bates had to be hospitalised for a back injury.

“One of the men jumped on the back of my wife, put a gun to her and ordered her to open her legs. One of the men jumped on my back and landed on Mr Bates.”

Hughes said he had a fairly good idea that Sealey was one of the men who robbed the group. He said Sealey looked just like the man who came to fix the air conditioning that day. He said Sealey spent the day at the villa and even through his own admission, confessed to stealing money from the handbag of one of the victims.

Hughes said the decision of the group not to return, was not based solely on robbery at Carnival. He said following the robbery, he read in the newspapers about other incidents, such as murder, kidnapping, and other violent crimes.

In passing sentence, Quinlan said the incident had given the country a bad name. “This affects the country, it will affect investment, it is a crime against the State, it affects the nation. We are already faced with advisories from these countries about the level of crime here. A situation like this adds to this,” the magistrate added.

Quinlan by her sentence, said she intended to send a message to others who go out and commit brazen acts of violence and promised that the courts will be very severe on them. The magistrate said she was thankful that nobody was killed that day.