A man was charged yesterday with the murder of Romain Seth, the eight-month-old baby who died during the Kaneville Housing Scheme fire last month.
Nigel Dodson, 21, of 906 Fourth Field, Kaneville, was read the charge by city magistrate Fabayo Azore. The charge stated that on January 23rd, 2017, at Kaneville, in the company of others, he murdered Seth in the course or furtherance of an arson.
Dodson, a miner, was not required to plea to the charge.
The pre-dawn fire that claimed the life of Seth destroyed the three-bedroom house belonging to his grandmother, dredge owner Michelle Menezes, who said her family had previously been threatened.
The prosecution’s case is that Dodson, who lived in the same premises as the toddler, went to Menezes on January 21st, claiming that he placed a firearm there and was not locating it. As a result, he is alleged to have told Seth’s grandmother that he was going to set the place on fire and kill everyone in it. Two days after, the home was set ablaze and the toddler was killed as a result.
According to attorney Trenton Lake, who represented the defendant in association with Darren Wade, Dodson was arrested on February 2nd and held at the Criminal Investigations Department and at Sparendaam until his arraignment. He stated that when he made contact with Dodson, he directed him not to sign any documents since he’s illiterate. Lake added, however, that his client then told him that he was forced to sign certain documents and had no knowledge of what was on them.
Magistrate Azore remanded the defendant and adjourned the matter to February 17th, when it will be called before the Chief Magistrate for assignment.
The police have also issued a wanted bulletin for Keon Ashby, of Kaneville, and another person, identified only as ‘Waynie’ or ‘Shark,’ of Diamond, who are both wanted for questioning about the murder.
