Court worker chopped to death in Moruga home invasion

The person or people who stabbed Stacy Gopaulsingh, 36, to death at her home in Moruga early on December 23,  ended not only her life but the life of her unborn child.

The murder toll now stands at 602.

A close relative, who asked to remain unnamed, told Newsday the judicial support officer (JSO) had said she was three months pregnant.

Her common-law husband, 42, grabbed their three-year-old daughter and escaped by jumping out of a window.

The murder occurred shortly before 3 am at Poui Trace in St Mary's Village.

The relative said Gopaulsingh, who worked at the Trinidad South District Court in Princes Town, had been planning to get married in February 2025.

Among the items stolen from the house were a laptop, two wedding bands, money to pay for building materials and an overseas trip. The couple was building a concrete house on the compound.

"They had been together for the past eight years. They were supposed to put up the wedding bands in January. That same month, Stacy was set to do an ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby," the relative said.

The police were told Gopaulsingh was awakened by a phone call and walked to the back of the wooden house while talking to the person on the phone.

An argument was heard about a laptop.

While her common-law husband was about to walk out to find out what was happening, a masked man pointed a gun at him and shouted, "Go back in your bed if you know what is good for you."

The common-law husband and daughter fled through the window at the front.

He returned to the house a short while later and found Gopaulsingh's body with multiple chop wounds in the living room.

The laptop she used for work, a brown envelope containing $40,000 and US$800 and the wedding bands were missing.

Judicial service officers work in court offices to help things run smoothly. Their main tasks include receiving and handling legal documents, preparing case sheets and informing people about trial dates, locations, costs and the judge's decisions. They also record minutes during hearings, call out names, and tell the judge who is present or absent.

The police were notified and officers from the Southern Division and the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Region Three, responded.

It is believed that the men ran through bushes at the back of the house and escaped via Simon Trace.

The relative said she had planned to go to the hardware on December 23.

"Stacy often worked from home too."

The relative described her as a lovely person who helped people.

Gopaulsingh's daughter was at the home of other relatives when Newsday visited on December 23.

Another relative told Newsday Gopaulsingh withdrew money from the bank on December 20 and was preparing for a trip abroad. He had no details on the trip.

Newsday learned that the court in Princes Town started later than usual, owing to an "internal meeting." No further information was given.

Condolences have been pouring in, and Moruga/Tableland MP Michelle Benjamin took to Facebook to say the news of Gopaulsingh's murder had shaken the village and she was deeply shocked and appalled by it.

"This heinous act, committed as her family was asleep, is a grim reminder of the escalating violence plaguing our community," a media statement said.

She said she cried for Gopaulsingh, as she did for all her constituents and other people of the country.

Benjamin said the murder was even more heartbreaking as it happened in the community where a father and his young daughter were murdered a few months ago.

She was referring to the shooting deaths of mini-mart owner Enrico Guerra, 34, and his five-year-old daughter, Anika Guerra, in August.

"These repeated acts of violence have left the community reeling and living in constant fear," the opposition MP said.

She accused the National Security Ministry of "continued neglect of Moruga/Tableland...

"How many more lives must be lost before this government acknowledges the plight of rural communities like ours? The residents of Moruga/Tableland deserve to live in peace and security, just as any other citizen of TT.

"Immediate action must be taken to bolster police presence, equip officers with the necessary tools to carry out their duties effectively and ensure that justice is served swiftly and fairly for the victims of these senseless crimes."