Deomatee Rajballysingh turned up in the San Fernando First Assizes yesterday to support her son, Ajai, in the prisoners' dock where she, along with his brother, Ganesh, just four months ago stood for killing her other son.
It was in April that Justice Carla Brown-Antoine ordered Rajballysingh, 56, and her other son, Ganesh Rajballysingh, 25, to serve four more months in prison after she deducted from their sentence the eight years they spent in custody awaiting trial and their guilty plea.
However, the judge felt Ajai needed to be assessed further before he could be reintegrated into society and deferred sentence to research what steps the court could take to assist him in rehabilitation.
Ajai will return to court today when the judge is expected to give her decision.
All three were charged with murder but the State accepted a plea to manslaughter in the death of Vicky, 25, who was tied to a coconut tree near their home at Avocat Village, Fyzabad, and beaten by Ajai, then 16, and Ganesh, then 17, who were acting on instructions from their mother.
Vicky, who was being punished by his mother for verbally abusing her, died from a fatal heart attack. Rajballysingh's eldest son, Rajesh, was not at home at the time of the incident.
Speaking with reporters afterwards, Rajballysingh said she was happy to be released but she was scared as she has to start from scatch.
Rajballysingh recalled how she broke down in tears when she went to visit her former home which has since crumbled and the area is overgrown with bush.
"I cry when I see the place. My big son did not take out nothing from the house. I lost everything. I left the prison with just my clothes.The officer give me a few pieces of cloth and $200."
And through her three sisters organised an apartment for her at Dow Village, South Oropouche, the rent was too much for them to pay. She said the Government, through its rental programme, gave a committal to pay the first three months but they have to wait a long time to get the payment.
Ganesh lives with her but he has been unable to secure a job as he has no identification card or birth paper.
"I really need a place to live for me and my children. That is my biggest issue now."
Although people still look down on her as the woman who killed her son, Rajballysingh said she was just trying to discipline him.
Saying she had a tough life, Rajballysingh, who cannot read, recalled she got married at age 18 to a man five years older than her through an arranged marriage.
And for 17 years, she said, her life was a nightmare as she was abused physically, verbally and financially by her husband who was an alcoholic.
"He use to beat me and run me out of the house. Sometimes all he give me is $200 for two or three months. Sometimes we have no food or nothing.
"The neighbours use to help us. My mother use to say he will change, go back to him."
She said her husband left her when her children were very small and never came back.
"I never see him again up to this day," she said.
Saying it was difficult trying to grow up four children on her own as she had no family support, Rajballysingh, who worked then as a domestic worker, said Vicky was a heavy drinker.
"They (children) grow up seeing their father beating me. My second son (Vicky) was worse then his father.
He always cursing me and threatening to burn down the house and fighting. Is years I talking with my child."
Rajballysingh, who did sewing and assisted in the kitchen while in prison, said she wished Ajai would be released but she agreed with what the judge was trying to do for him.
"I really want Ajai to come home but I feel what the judge is doing is a good thing. She want to see him improve himself and be better to come out in society."
Rajballysingh advised parents who were having problems with their children not to take the law into their hands but try to seek help.
"Go to the police or someone else who could help you," she said.