On August 29, 2009, Martin Atherley’s world turned upside down when he learnt that his wife had been shot in the hip and was at the hospital. Six days later she died. As the five year mark approaches, he is still to get justice.
The shooter was never held criminally responsible as following an inquest the jury concluded that Veronica Atherley’s death was nothing more than an accident. As if that was not enough, a lawsuit which has been filed since 2010 is still awaiting a hearing date in the High Court.
Shaking his head as the memories flood in, Atherley is adamant that both the justice system and the police have failed him. He said that never once did the shooter, Mahendra Deonarine, apologize for his actions let alone show an interest in their wellbeing. Instead, he said, the man’s wife failed to honour a promise to give the family compensation, the