Autopsy: Prisoner suffered multiple blunt-force injuries

SHOCK and haemorrhage, polytrauma, multiple blunt force injuries all over the body and a gunshot injury to the right shoulder.

These were the findings of State pathologist Dr Parthasarathi Pramanik in the autopsy of the man accused of attempting to murder a prison officer and the daughter of a deputy prisons commissioner.

The post-mortem examination was done on Thursday after High Court judge Justice Carol Gobin granted injunctions for an independent pathologist to witness Emmanuel Joseph’s autopsy.

Joseph, 22, of La Canoa, Lower Santa Cruz, reportedly died in prison on October 20. He was a remanded inmate at the Eastern Correctional Rehabilitation Centre, at Santa Rosa, and was taken to the Arima Health Facility after complaining about chest pains.

He was attended to and subsequently pronounced dead by the attending physician, a prison service statement said on the weekend.

Originally, his autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday but was pushed to Wednesday when Joseph’s family wanted their own pathologist to witness the procedure.

Director of the Forensic Science Centre, Derrick Sankar, initially gave permission for former state pathologist Dr Hughvon des Vignes to witness the autopsy but this was rescinded hours later. The application said des Vignes was told by the deputy director of the FSC, Michelle Moore Nasseir, that “plans changed” and he would not be able to observe the autopsy but the family should get a court order to make it possible.

It was then Joseph’s family approached the court for an injunction and the orders.

According to the post-mortem certificate which Newsday obtained late Thursday, Joseph’s death was classified as “unnatural.” The autopsy began at about 12.46 am and concluded just before 4 pm.

Dr Pramanik listed the cause of death as: shock and haemorrhage; polytrauma, gunshot injury to the right shoulder and multiple blunt force injuries all over the body. The body was identified by two of Joseph’s siblings.

Polytrauma is when a patient has sustained multiple injuries, some of which may cause significant disability and may be life-threatening, according to the National Institutes of Health website.

The post-mortem certificate also said blood specimens and several swabs were taken.

Joseph’s sister, Crystal Charles, who was appointed administrator of his estate, said in the application the circumstances surrounding her brother’s death were questionable and her family were concerned with the “integrity of an autopsy sanctioned by the State.”

She said she asked des Vignes for advice and a formal request was made for him to witness the autopsy. In support of the emergency application, des Vignes said based on his experience, “it is of paramount importance that several observations are made relative to the body of the deceased at the time the autopsy is conducted.

“These observations include, but are not limited to, ‘clot over the brain trauma, bleeding into the chest, bleeding into the belly and bleeding into the bladder.”

He said these observations can only be made at the time of the initial autopsy. He admitted he was concerned when told Joseph died of cardiac arrest.

Des Vignes also articulated his suspicions and the possibilities that could have led to Joseph’s death.

Newsday was told the autopsy started shortly after the court granted the injunction and gave the orders for des Vignes to witness it.

He will conduct further tests when the body is released to the family.

On Thursday afternoon, Joseph’s sister told the media the family was not told the cause of death nor did they receive a death certificate or any documentation.

Newsday was also told before Joseph’s body could be released to the family, the prison commissioner would have to sign off on it since Joseph was their ward. It is then the family can have further tests done on the body by their independent pathologist.

In making the orders, Gobin deemed the application urgent, requiring the court’s prompt attention which should be heard without notice to the director of the FSC.

The injunctions restrained the director from conducting any autopsy without des Vignes being present or preventing him from observing it.

Another injunction was granted mandating the FSC’s director to deliver all documents relating to Joseph.

A hearing will be held on October 30.

The prison service said Joseph died at around 10.20 pm on Friday. On Thursday, he appeared before Port of Spain Magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gafoor charged with the attempted murder of a prison officer and the daughter of deputy Commissioner of Prisons Sherwin Bruce.

He was also charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a firearm to endanger life and possession of ammunition to endanger life, a police press release said.

The victims, Bruce’s daughter and driver, were in an SUV on October 11 around 7.10 am, when two masked men armed with guns shot at the vehicle, and then escaped.

The injured victims were taken to hospital.

Joseph was expected to return to court on October 24. Speaking on Joseph’s death on the weekend, acting Prisons Commissioner Deopersad Ramoutar shot down speculation that violence was a factor in the death.

“There has been no information coming to me about any foul play or any violence as such.”

In a telephone interview on Saturday, Ramoutar told Newsday, ‘There is an active investigation going on both internally and by the police.”

He acknowledged this could be a perception by some people when incidents like these happen.

Ramoutar said he was aware of some social media reports claiming that the prisoner died of cardiac arrest.

“Officially, I cannot comment on that. But in due time, all will be revealed.”

Joseph’s family is represented by attorneys Wayne Sturge, Lemuel Murphy, Alexia Romero and Siddiq Manzano all of Regius Chambers.