Relatives of murdered Chaguanas woman: She planned to leave country

,Months before a Chaguanas mother of three planned to leave Trinidad and Tobago for good, she was burnt to death while staying at a friend's house.

Patricia Phillip, 35, was at the house at Manzanilla at around 5.30 pm on Thursday when a man went to the house and set it on fire. The woman's friend, who was sitting on the front steps, saw the man with a gun, ran away and reported what happened to the Manzanilla police.

Police went to the house and found it on fire.

Mayaro fire officers extinguished the blaze and found Phillip's burnt remains inside.

Phillip's seven-year-old son was found unharmed nearby.

Police said a 33-year-old Chaguanas man who was known to Phillip surrendered to Chaguanas police later that evening.

Newsday visited Phillip's home at Eagle Avenue, Branch Trace, Enterprise, on Friday and spoke with relatives, who described the murder as heart-breaking and lamented the spate of violence against women.

Phillip's cousin Salome Mohammed said another relative was arranging for her to leave the country and go to the US to live.

Mohammed said when her relationship with Phillip got stronger relatively recently, she came to understand the difficulties her cousin was facing.

"We only realised last night that her papers were approved for her to go ahead. She was supposed to leave in August with the children.

"I tried to advise her to do what's best for her and her children. I didn't like what was going on at all."

Mohammed said as far as she was aware, only one report was made to the police, and urged women who may be facing danger not to hesitate, for the sake of their own safety.

Recalling the kidnapping and murder of Arima court clerk Andrea Bharatt last year, Mohammed said it was sad that violence against women continued despite the public outcry and that "with all the vigils and everything, that nothing was actually really done to protect women."

Mohammed said Phillip's son, who was found near the burning house, was with his siblings, 14 and 15, and other relatives.

Phillip's older sister Stefanie Baptiste described her sister as a dedicated mother who put her children first and would go out of her way to help others.

The man was taken to the St Joseph police station, where he remained in custody up to Friday afternoon. Police from the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region II are continuing enquiries.