There is no disputing that something was missing from the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court where the Vindra Naipaul-Coolman murder trial was set to resume yesterday.There was no laughter, smiles or the friendly banter among attorneys which usually preceded daily hearings of the high-profile trial.Instead lawyers huddled together in small groups throughout the corridors of the Hall of Justice as they quietly discussed and consoled each other over the brutal and shocking murder of Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal in Woodbrook early on Sunday.
Even court reporters seemed affected by the sombre and pensive mood as they discussed their relationship with the much-loved attorney and attempted to come to terms with the fact that her almost daily, friendly, yet frank discussions on current affairs with them would no longer occur.When the case was eventually called by justice Malcolm Holdip around 10.30 am, media personnel were unexpectedly barred from entry by Judiciary security staff at a makeshift checkpoint at the entrance of the court.Within minutes, grief-stricken attorneys, with their heads bowed, began trickling out of the courtroom in single file.
Recognising the error, the Judiciary's Court Protocol and Information Unit supplied reporters with an audio recording and a transcript of the proceedings, in which Holdip dealt specifically with the scheduling of the trial, in light of the devastating news. The transcript showed the first person to officially announce the incident to the jury was senior state attorney Joy Balkaran, who could not hold back her tears as she told the court Seetahal would no longer be part of the prosecution team.Holdip, who spoke immediately after, said he understood prosecutors who worked alongside Seetahal would be emotionally and psychologically traumatised by the incident.
He then told the 12-member jury the case would have to be adjourned to next Monday at 9 am to allow Seetahal's colleagues to grieve and attend her funeral on Thursday."I am taking the initiative to understand that they would need some time to, in fact, reconstitute their position, their strategies, legal and otherwise," Holdip said.He also suggested that members of the defence team were also trying to cope with the news and would also agree with the short adjournment."I don't think anyone of us have that sort of Spartan attitude that we would just pick up ourselves and continue in the light of what has happened," Holdip said.Seetahal was one of three Senior Counsel who began leading evidence when the trial began in late March.The other two–Israel Khan and Gilbert Peterson–were each accompanied by a plainclothes police officer as they entered and left the Knox Street courthouse yesterday.Sources said the police protection for prosecutors was instituted almost immediately after news of Seetahal's murder became public. There was also an increased police presence outside the Hall of Justice, with teams of heavily-armed officers at street corners around the building.