TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: 52 ESCAPE DEATH ROW

August 15, 2008: fifty-two people in Trinidad & Tobago convicted of murder had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment after Justice Nolan Bereaux at the Port-of-Spain High Court ruled in favour of a Constitutional motion brought by the prisoners, that they be removed from Death Row. Among them are female prisoners Chandroutie London, Natasha De Leon and Parbattee Dass. London and her husband Kenrick were sentenced to death on April 4, 2003, for the killing of their five-month-old baby Vidya, who was thrown into a latrine pit while she was still alive. The prisoners who were convicted for some of the most gruesome killings will now spend their lives in prison. Filed on June 13, 2005, the motion was brought by Death Row prisoners Andrew Dottin, Mark Teeluck, Ramsingh Teeluck and Kelvin Dial on behalf of all prisoners sentenced to death before July 7, 2004. List of killers commuted for life:

MALE DATE OF CONVICTION

1. Baptiste, Denny May 29, 1995
2. Benjamin, Peter October 27, 1997
3. Bissoon, Rashi November 29, 1999
4. Boodram, Naresh November 27, 2996
5. Boiselle, Marvin April 1, 2003
6. Brown, Ian February 2, 2002
7. Charles, Clarence April 19, 1993
8. Chotolal, Phillip December 17, 1996
9. Constantine, George February 17, 1995
10. Davis, Rodney January 31, 2001
11. Dial, Kevin January 21, 1997
12. Dottin, Andrew January 21, 1997
13. Edmund, Mervyn March 21, 1995
14. Edoo, Fareyad February 2, 1999
15. Frederick, Alfred September 29, 1997
16. Garcia, Anthony Allan October 30, 1996
17. Ghany, Rawle February 2, 1999
18. Herrera, Bruce June 23, 1999
19. Hernandez, Neil November 29, 1994
20. Hillaire, Haniff May 29, 1995
21. Isaac, Evit January 2, 2002
22. Jairam, Ramsingh November 2, 1995
23. John, Dennis May 26, 1992
24. London, Kenrick May 5, 2002/April 4, 2003
25. Mansingh, Francis May 24, 1996
26. Mark, Nigel November 11, 1997
27. Mohammed, Alladin November 2, 1998
28. Mohammed, Amir February 2, 1999
29. Mowlah, Amir October 27, 1997
30. Mungroo, Steve December 13, 1996
31. Mungroo, Vijay December 13, 1996
32. Parris, Mervyn February 17, 1995
33. Phillip, Allan November 17, 1995
34. Prince, Wilson November 25, 1996
35. Ramcharan, Tackoor May 28, 1999
36. Ramlogan, Arnold March 4, 1999
37. Ramnarace, Beemal December 16, 1998
38. Reid, Martin November 15, 1995
39. Roach, Sheldon April 25, 1998
40. Seepersad, Noel February 7, 1997
41. Serrette, Foster May 21, 2001
42. Sirju, Curtis October 29, 1999
43. Sooklal, Narine May 24, 1996
44. Tahaloo, Gangadeen November 19, 1997
45. Taylor, Robert February 17, 1995
46. Teeluck, Mark July 14, 2000
47. Thomas, Darren November 9, 1995
48. Thomas, Kieron July 27, 1994
49. Winchester, Samuel March 4, 1997

FEMALE DATE OF CONVICTION

50. Parbatee Dass February 2, 1999
51. Natasha De Leon November 9, 1995
52. Chandroutie London May 15, 2002/April 4, 2003

(Sources: Newsday.co.tt, 16/08/2008)