The mother of two-year-old Aliyah Johnson has appeared in court charged with unlawfully killing the toddler on Easter Sunday. Candace Johnson, of Maria David Trace, San Francique, was granted $75,000 bail yesterday when she appeared before Siparia First Court Magistrate Joanne Connor charged with manslaughter. However, relatives of the 20-year-old woman were unable to secure Johnson's bail up to late yesterday. She was taken to the Women's Prison by an Almagamated prisoner transport van. A crowd of onlookers gathered opposite the court hoping to catch a glimpse of Johnson for her ten-minute court appearance.
After spending almost nine days in police custody, Johnson was taken to the Siparia Magistrates' Court around 9.25 am in a marked police vehicle. She got out of the vehicle in handcuffs and looked at her elder sister, Jilisa Johnson, and her father, Victor Garcia, as they stood in the corridor of the courthouse corridor.
Johnson stood calmly before the magistrate as she read the charge that on April 8, 2012, at 57 Maria David Trace, San Francique, she did unlawfully kill Aliyah Johnson. The charge was laid by Sgt Stephen Ragbir.
Connor asked police prosecutor Sgt Dridgenath Sookraj whether the prosecution was objecting to bail. He said no. Sookraj said the accused had no criminal record. Attorney Ramnarine Soorjansingh, who appeared for Johnson, said his client was 19 years old. However, she corrected him, saying: "I am 20." The lawyer said she had no pending cases or previous convictions. She was remanded to reappear in court on May 14.
Facts
Aliyah was taken to the Siparia Health Facility on Easter Sunday but was pronounced dead on arrival. An autopsy on the toddler concluded she died from blunt-force trauma to the abdomen which resulted in acute internal blood loss. The blow ruptured Aliyah's liver, causing her to bleed to death. Aliyah was laid to rest on Saturday.
