Kaia appears in court | Local News

An array of forensic reports and testimonies from 30 witnesses is expected to anchor the State’s manslaughter case against 25-year-old Kaia Sealy, who said she was left paralysed in a police-involved shooting earlier this year that claimed the life of her husband, Joshua Samaroo.

While Samaroo was fatally shot by police, Sealy was charged with his unlawful killing, given that she had allegedly shot first at officers, resulting in the lawmen returning fire and striking Samaroo 19 times.

She is also facing a number of other charges, including possession of a firearm and ammunition, and shooting at police officers.

At 10 a.m. yesterday, Sealy, a hairstylist and mother of a five-year-­old, made her first appearance before Master Nazeera Ali in the Tuna­puna North B Court, just hours after she returned to Trinidad and Tobago from Panama.

Following her arrival at Piarco International Airport around 1.45 a.m., Sealy had planned to proceed to a doctor’s appointment at 6 a.m., after which she was to surrender to officers at the Arouca Police Station at 7 a.m.

However, minutes after her flight landed, she was held by police and taken to the Arouca station, after which she was transferred to the Tunapuna station, from where she appeared virtually before Master Ali.

During the hour-long hearing, Sealy sat in a wheelchair and listened as her attorneys Larry Williams, Fayola Sandy and prosecutor Anthony Jacob made submissions.

Master Ali was informed by Sealy’s attorneys about pre-planned arrangements between police and the lawyers to have their client first attend her medical appointment before giving herself up.

Questioned on this, Jacob admit­ted such an arrangement was in place, but “the tentative plans did not go as previously indicated”.

The charges against Sealy that were laid by acting ASP Sunil Bha­rath alleged that she unlawfully killed Samaroo, shot at police offi­cers Quincy Simon, Daryl Bartho­lomew and Gary Duncan, had in her possession a Glock pistol, two rounds of 9mm ammunition, possessed a firearm to endanger life, and discharged a firearm within 40 metres of a public road.

All of the offences were alleged to have taken place at the corner of College Road and Bassie Street Extension, St Augustine, on January 20.

Can travel to US for treatment 

Sealy was eventually granted bail in the sum of $700,000 to co­ver all charges without any objection from the prosecution.

In considering bail, the master said she took into account a number of factors, including Sealy’s age, her ongoing medical treatment both locally and abroad, the absence of any previous convictions, the minimal risk of re-offending, “at least presently given her condition”, and the unlikelihood of interference with witnesses.

As conditions to her bail, Sealy is to reside at her mother’s address in Champs Fleurs.

Whenever she is to travel to the United States for medical treatment, the prosecution is to be informed at least one week in advance.

Once in that country, she is only allowed to stay at a residence in Green Drive, Brockton, Massachusetts.

Should there be any need to reside elsewhere in the US, the court must be informed.

Master Ali said she had the intention of adding another condition—that is, to have Sealy report to the police once per month.

However, Williams said this may cause his client some difficulties, gi­ven that it is unpredictable for what period of time she may be required to remain in the US.

He said this would be based on the advice of her doctors.

He pointed out that Sealy is required to again travel to Boston for a “wheelchair evaluation”.

He explained, based on Sealy’s condition, she is required to be fitted with “a specialised wheelchair”.

Based on these submissions, the prosecutor said he would also not be objecting to the non-inclusion of reporting conditions.

The prosecutor added that in normal circumstances, the State would have requested that Sealy surrender her passport, but given that she is required to periodically travel to the US, such an application would not be made.

Around 3.15 p.m., Sealy was transported by police from the Tunapuna station to the Women’s Prison, Arouca, for the processing of her bail.

Around 5.30 p.m., she was released into the care of her family.

No to DNA sample 

Earlier in the proceedings, Jacob said after Sealy was taken into custody, officers requested an intimate DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) sample from her, but she refused based on the advice of her attorneys.

Williams questioned for what reason such a sample was being requested.

“If you want to take her DNA, what are you going to match it up against? All of a sudden, they would find her DNA and fingerprints eve­ry­where. The State has not been forthcoming in this matter, and that is what we are concerned about,” said the attorney.

Jacob said DNA samples were retrieved from the vehicle in which Sealy and Samaroo were travelling, and it is to compare to those samples to determine if they match.

But Williams countered the submission.

“If any DNA sample was taken from the car, it would have been blood. What do they want to do, compare the samples to say she was in a car that we all know she was in? I do not see the purpose of the samples,” he said.

He also questioned if Sealy had a firearm and ammunition in her possession, how come she was allowed to leave the country for the US.

“Everything new seems to be popping up. It is the strangest thing,” Williams submitted.

Following the submissions from both sides, Master Ali then proceeded to fix timelines for the filing of documentary evidence.

She directed that the police file be forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) by July 17 for a State prosecutor to be appointed.

The prosecution has been given until August 24 to file its documents. If any extension of time is required to do so, an application must be made by August 17.

Provided those documents are filed on time, the defence was given until September 25 to respond if necessary.

A status hearing is set for October 8.

Master Ali questioned if October 22 would be a convenient date for a sufficiency hearing.

“That is my birthday,” said Williams.

“You do not work on your birthday?” asked the master.

“I work every day. That would be a beautiful birthday gift, to have these matters discharged on that day,” said Williams.