Murdered woman, son, 8, buried in San Fernando

The estranged husband of Hollice Thomas cursed her as she lay in her casket before the funeral ceremony yesterday.

Thomas, 40, and her son, Noel, 8, were found in their Marabella apartment last Tuesday with stab wounds on their bodies.

Her estranged husband, Sheldon Thomas, showed up to the funeral at Lionel Belgroves Chapel in San Fernando in grey three-quarter jeans and a blue t-shirt with his fingers bandaged on his left hand.

Though the bodies of both Thomas and their son lay in open caskets for loved ones to view before the ceremony began, he closed his son's casket and, while using expletives, instructed that no one reopen it.

Beverley, a woman who described herself as a second mother to Thomas, said she knew her when she first moved to Trinidad from Guyana 13 years ago.

She said Sheldon lost his daughter, Jameil, who he regarded as his idol, almost a decade ago to Lupus and was now taking the death of his son, who he treated like a god, pretty hard.

She said Sheldon and Thomas had an on-and-off relationship but she recently ran away from their Victoria Street home and was living with her common-law husband, Marcus John.

Beverley said no one knew where Thomas was, including Sheldon, until she was murdered.

Sheldon's outbursts came amidst uncontrollable and inconsolable wails of anguish from family members, friends and coworkers from PRD Security Services.

A daughter Thomas had back in Guyana, Aisha Mc Donald, 15, called out to her saying: "Mommy wake up!"

Stefan Craig, one of Thomas's long-time friends now living in New York said he hoped justice was served quickly to the perpetrator.

Giving tributes during the service, loved ones described Thomas as being a strong woman and a fighter.

Beverley said she believed Thomas, who died at the San Fernando General Hospital, fought to live up until she realised her son was dead.