The State will begin its paper committal proceedings on April 10 against the 37-year-old police constable charged last year with causing the death of a Sea Lots mother and her two young daughters.During a hearing of the case in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates Court yesterday, state prosecutors said they had already filed 24 witness statements and promised to file the ten remaining statements within the next couple of weeks.At the next hearing, prosecutors are expected to tender the statements into evidence with the officer's defence attorney being given an opportunity to cross examine the witnesses.
PC Sherwin Legere, of Bagna Trace, Chase Village, is before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar charged with causing the deaths of Haydee Paul, 28, and her daughters – Akasha, eight, and Shakira, seven – by dangerous driving. He is also facing an additional charge of driving dangerously.The three were on a pavement last February 24 on the Beetham Highway, near their Pioneer Drive, Sea Lots, home, when they were struck and killed. Three of their neighbours – Abigail Assing, 31, Ryan Rampersad, 20, and Amanda Lalla, 50 – were also seriously injured in the crash.
While Assing and Lalla recovered from their injuries within a couple of months, Rampersad, who was left almost completely paralysed, was only released from hospital on Christmas Eve last year.
Before adjourning the matter yesterday, Ayers-Caesar raised a concern over a condition placed on Legere's bail.When he first appeared in court in mid-April last year, Legere was granted $250,000 bail and ordered to surrender his passport and report to police once a week.Ayers-Caesar said she was concerned because she was contacted by immigration officers who said Legere had applied for a new passport in late November last year. When called on to respond, Legere's lawyer Joseph Honore denied the allegation.The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Kathy Ann Waterman-Latchoo and Shelly Ann Gajadhar.