St James couple laid to rest, three men charged with murdering them

MOURNING turned into celebration over the coffins of Korey Clarke and Samantha Patrick as news of three men being charged with their murders was made public during their funeral on Wednesday.

The funeral was held at the Mt St Jude Spiritual Baptist Church, Aboud Circular, St James.

Clarke and Patrick, both 30, were shot dead on October 27 when gunmen stormed their Aboud Circular home around midnight.

It is believed they used their bodies to shield their seven-month-old daughter from the attack.

Moments after the gunmen left, Anthony, Clarke's father, who lives a stone’s throw away, discovered the child near the couple’s bodies.

They were declared dead at the scene and their bodies were taken to the Forensic Sciences Complex.

Hours before the funeral, Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC, advised police to charge three men with two counts of murder, unlawful possession of firearms and unlawful possession of ammunition.

The men were arrested during a joint exercise involving Homicide Bureau investigators and the Western Division Task Force on November 4.

Even as tears flowed, the mourners celebrated the couple’s lives with chants and shouts.

Anthony and his wife, Patrick’s mother Raquel, and other close relatives, danced around the white and gold coffins while holding the child.

Sending a message to those charged with the murders, Anthony said, “Jesus is the rock and you all chipped off a piece of the rock. And you see that two pieces of rock you chipped off there, God is in charge of these two people, and those that do the act remember it's coming back.

“And to the elders who are encouraging and gathering them around them, stop it.”

Knocking on the edges of the coffins, Anthony said, "You see the shells of these here, no more sorrow, no more pain. But we who are left behind, we will be rejoicing one day, one day.

“Judgement belongs to God. When the incident happened, God say all can’t go – we leaving back one. That little one (baby) can't go.

Clarke was remembered by his mother Cherry-ann Clarke as a light, a peacemaker who loved to sing and dance, and someone who loved to make others laugh. Patrick was remembered as a shy, caring and loving person who was family oriented.

Clarke’s father said his son was killed because of greed, envy and jealousy.

“I don’t care what the critics say, he was a peacemaker.”

He lamented the spike in murders in the area, and the influence of criminality on young people.

“I want to tell us today to be your brother's keeper...I really should have told him (Clarke) to watch his friends.”

Speaking with Newsday after the funeral, Anthony said, “I was happy to hear they held people accountable for the murders. This is sweet justice from God. I feel good. I hope they were charged with triple murder because Samantha was pregnant when they killed her.”

Clarke and Patrick were buried at the Tunapuna Public Cemetery.