Baby Jamie’s mom to be re-evaluated

Jamie’s grandmother, 55-year-old Salatchee Venilla Basanich, and mother, Patricia Kershnie Ishwarlal, 31, are charged for th toddler’s gruesome murder after news of her death rocked the community of Chatsworth, Rising Sun Chatsworth reported.

The two accused were remanded into police custody and were sent back to Westville Prison.

Defence attorney, Vijay Sivakumoor, addressed the court asking for accused number 2, Kershnie, to undergo psychiatric re-evaluation at the onus of the defence.

“It seems like the medical professionals at Fort Napier Hospital did not take into consideration the reports from the Road Accident Fund claim, therefore we request a second opinion with regards to the psychiatric evaluation,” Sivakumoor said.

In court, Sivakumoor said Ishwarlal was under curatorship and that he has liaised with the curator in respect of bearing the cost of the second evaluation.

“It would be up to the Master of the High Court to decide if the curator could assist with the procurement of the second opinion,” he said.

Local ward councillor Brandon Pillay said the constant postponement of the case is a sad state of affairs.

“Another adjournment and not even a transfer to a higher court yet. The state needs to finalise the matter as soon as possible and set a trial date as Baby Jamie deserves justice. The culprits are just wasting the court’s time and taxpayer’s money is being used to transport them up and down only for a remand,” said Pillay.

The case was postponed to August 20.

– Caxton News Service