A father who allegedly set his pre-teen son on fire was yesterday committed to stand trial for attempted murder.
Ravendra Samaroo, 36, called Professor, of Free Yard, Port Mourant, Corentyne, in response to Magistrate Marissa Mittelholzer at the Reliance Magistrate’s Court, said he did not commit the offence nor did he have any witnesses to call at his trial, which is to be heard at the next sitting of the Berbice Assizes.
Earlier, the court ruled that a prima facie case had been made out against the father of two, who was ordered to post an additional $250,000 bail. The Rose Hall estate field foreman was previously ordered to post $200,000 bail at the commencement of the Preliminary Inquiry into the charge.
According to the facts presented by Police Prosecutor Sergeant Orin Joseph, on May 7, 2015, 11-year-old Ricky Samaroo went to get his father from the Rose Hall Estate Senior Staff Club, where he had been drinking with other staff members.
Around 6pm, the boy and his father left the club and proceeded home. On arrival at home, the accused continued to drink alcohol. Two and a half hours later, he is alleged to have left the child home and went to a nearby shop at Gangaram ball field, where he bought alcohol. The accused returned home and continued his drinking. Moments later, he told the boy that he was going out again to buy more beers.
The child pleaded with his father not to go as he did not want to be left alone. Further, he was of the opinion that the accused had had enough and was intoxicated.
The boy then closed the door in an attempt to prevent his father from leaving the home but the accused became annoyed. He then took off the child’s pants and shirt, leaving him only with his underwear on, and inflicted several lashes on him using a boot.
As a result, the child held on to the accused’s feet, further aggravating him. The man then allegedly picked up a plastic bottle containing methylated spirits, poured the contents on the child before scratching a match and throwing the lit stick on him.
Ricky Samaroo, who had run over to a neighbour’s house, suffered burns to the left side of his face, both arms as well as his neck and thighs. He was taken to the Reliance Police Station and then the New Amsterdam Hospital before being transferred to the Burn Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he remained a patient for twenty eight days.
A medical certificate revealed that Ricky Samaroo suffered second and third degree burns.
