Sister of murdered Belmont man, 65, laments crime, violence

The sister of a murdered Belmont man, Neil Thomas, is lamenting the state of crime in TT and is calling on the authorities to introduce stiffer penalties to dissuade criminals.

Thomas, 65, was stabbed to death at the corner of Duke and Charlotte Streets, Port of Spain on Saturday night.

Police arrested a 22-year-old Maraval man nearby with bloody hands holding a knife they suspect is the murder weapon.

Speaking with Newsday at the Forensic Science Centre, St James on Monday, Thomas' older sister Hyacinth Olivera said she did not know why anyone would want to harm her brother as he generally kept to himself and was too old to be seen as a threat to anyone.

She said Thomas lives with their sister in Belmont and was not known to sleep out, which aroused her suspicion when she realised he did not return home on Sunday morning.

She said the family only found out about his death from a friend in the community who knew him.

"He's an elderly man and he's frail. What trouble could he cause for anyone?

"We found out about it by chance. A guy passed on Sunday morning and told us to accept his sympathies because he heard Neil died.

"It was then I started calling the police and they told us to go to the hospital mortuary, but the workers sent us here (Forensics).

"Crime is out of control but it's not just in Trinidad. When you look at what's going on with the war in the Ukraine, you will realise how men's hearts have become – no natural love, according to the Bible, and when you see what's taking place it seems as though its following the prophecy."

Asked what she felt people could do to better to protect people from criminals, Olivera felt stricter punishment for criminals was necessary and called on parents to be more active in their children’s development.

"We need stricter laws. In many homes it's a stepfather minding the child and we have to start doing something within the homes and schools.

"Some people will come and spew some divisive language about race – everybody just pushing hate."

Newsday was told a taxi driver saw Thomas being attacked on Saturday night, thought he was being playful with a friend, but later passed and saw his body.

Police from the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region I are continuing enquiries.