Oropouche man sentenced for death of girl, 17, burnt beyond recognition

A South Oropouche man has a little more than a year left to serve for the death of a 17-year-old girl whose body was burned beyond recognition in 2011.

“There is nothing to mitigate the loss of any child,” Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds said on October 8, as she sentenced Anthony Lal, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a plea deal with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in July.

Initially, Lal was charged with the murder of Octavia “Arlene” Charles, which took place sometime between May 21 and June 2, 2011.

Attorney Jason Jackson and Krysan Rambert represented Lal. Charmaine Samuel and Guiliana Guy represented the State.

Ramsumair-Hinds approved the plea deal, although admitting in July that she had concerns, but recognised there had to be room to allow the DPP to exercise his remit under plea-bargaining legislation.

She also had concerns about whether she should accept the joint recommendation of a 23-year prison term, but accepted it with an understanding of the considerations from both sides.

Ramsumair-Hinds also said she was bound by precedent.

“And yes, I might be tempted to use the word 'evil' to describe this. But by operation of law, I must do what I must do.”

She described concealing and disposing of Charles’ body “by burning her beyond recognition” as “callous and heinous,” although it was not the “worst of the worst that we have seen or can conceive.

“Indeed, it was only with the assistance of science and DNA testing that her bones revealed it was the child.”

Lal received a one-year downward adjustment to his sentence for his previous good character, his involvement in prison programmes and his rehabilitative prospects.

He also received a one-third discount for his guilty plea and the 13 years and four months he spent in prison were also deducted, leaving him with just over a year left to serve.

“I am of the view that there is a need for continued detention of the prisoner.

“I believe that the just desert for the atrocity is for Mr Lal to serve the entirety of the sentence that has been negotiated on his behalf and subjected to further calculations (by the court).

“His release is imminent. I hope he uses the remaining term of one year and four months to put things in place towards his reintegration.”

She also urged his relatives to consider he would need assistance when he gets out of prison.

“The fact is, he is responsible for the death of a 17-year-old girl and the entire destruction of her remains, such that her mother could not even have a proper funeral (for her).”

On his arraignment in July, the facts of the case both sides agreed to were provided to the court. It said Charles, a form-five student of Holy Name Convent, Point Fortin, left her home in Cap-de-Ville to attend a church service. Afterwards, she went to her cousin’s home. Some friends came by and they agreed to go for a drive, after which Charles asked to spend the night at a friend’s home in Siparia.

She could not find the friend’s house, so she went another friend’s home in Oropouche. At some point, she decided to return home when she met someone she knew, who offered to take her to an apartment to spend the night.

Lal also stayed at that apartment. The friend left her and the next day, Lal said she left. He also asked to borrow a mattress, which was later found to be burnt. Lal also allegedly suggested to the friend he was intimate with Charles before he took her home when he found out she was 17.

Charles's burned bones were found near the coast close to Bypass Road, Oropouche. The friend asked Lal if he had burned her and he replied, “She in another world.”

Police found items of clothing and a knife.

In a victim impact statement, Charles’s mother Sharon said she and her daughter were close. She said she when she found out Octavia hasd not returned from her grandmother’s home on Sunday, she knew something was wrong.

When she got home, she was told to go to the police station, where she saw her sister rolling on the ground.

“It took me six months to actually realise she would not be coming back.”

The elder Charles had to be hospitalised briefly.

“When she died, it affected me really bad. I cried every day…”

Charles said once, in a vision, Octavia wiped her eyes and told her to stop crying, She did not cry at her daughter’s funeral and said, “It mashed me up.

“Everything changed in the family.”

Since then, she said the family has been cautious with their safety and security. They no longer trust people. She said she never went to counselling,but reads her Bible every day and night.

“That is what I have held on to, to give me the courage and strength.”

Charles added, “The man who took my daughter…It was an act of the devil. It was evil. It was humiliating, disastrous. It was wickedness, all the words that means (sic) bad in the dictionary. I just can't bring them all out.

"An innocent child…innocent life. What my daughter could do you (that) had to do all this?

“He had no remorse for my daughter…That child was too soft and small to suffer.”