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Fifteen years after the killing of then 6-year-old Sean Luke, 2 men have been convicted.

Twenty-nine-year-old Akeel Mitchell and 31-year-old Richard Chatoo have been ordered to serve terms of imprisonment.

They were found guilty of the crime on July 23^rd.

Just before 4pm yesterday Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds ordered Mr. Mitchell to serve 33 years behind bars, while Mr. Chatoo will serve 27 years.

However, the time both men have already spent in State custody together with other deductions for good behavior while behind prison walls had to automatically be deducted from their sentence.

With those deductions, Mr. Mitchell was ordered to serve 17 years 6 months and 13 days while Mr. Chatoo was ordered to serve an average of 11 years, 6 months and 13 days.

Justice Ramsumair-Hinds explained that these terms imposed did not mean it was the precise amount of time the two would be spending in prison before being released.

She ordered that their cases come up for review every three years for the court to be updated on whether they had been making any rehabilitative progress while in prison which could possibly cause their terms behind bars to be altered.

Sean Luke’s mother Pauline Bharat is reported as saying the sentencing cannot bring her son back.

Ms. Bharat told the Express she did not listen to the sentencing because she did not want to know.

She questioned the kind of justice that would lead to the decision of the judge.

She said the system is part of the problem.

The Minister of Health describes as dire the low number of COVID vaccinations in both teens and adults.

Minister Terrence Deyalsingh says only 32.3%; of the 39.2 % of vaccinated people have received 2 doses.

The Minister stressed that the large number of unvaccinated adults remains worrying.

Referencing to a chart, Minister Deyalsingh said the vaccinated population among those between the ages of 12-18 is also of concern.

While the Minister noted that there are no cases of the Delta variant recorded in teenagers, he stressed that it does not mean none exist.

Minister Deyalsingh was speaking at the COVID-19 media briefing earlier yesterday.

An unreserved apology from Opposition Senator Anil Roberts to Senate President Christine Kangaloo and the Upper House.

The apology follows comments he reportedly made on his social media program called Dougla Politics earlier this year, on February 23^rd and 24^th.

The comments were deemed to have brought the President and the Senate into disrepute.

On March 2^nd, Senate Vice-President Nigel De Freitas agreed with a submission by late Leader of Government Business Franklin Khan, that a Prima-Facie case had been made against Mr. Roberts over his utterances.

Senator Khan had said Mr. Roberts referred to himself as a booming voice and the Senate as a “kangaroo court”.

During that sitting Mr. Roberts was defiant.

However, yesterday he apologised.

Had he been suspended he would not have been paid any remuneration or allowances.

Akeem Mitchell and Richard Chatoor will be sentenced today for the March 2006 murder of Sean Luke.

Confirmation of this comes in a release to the media from the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago.

It says Madame Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds will deliver the sentences virtually in an open court hearing at 2:00 p.m. today.

Akeem Mitchell and Richard Chatoo were found guilty of the murder of then 6-year-old Sean Luke.

Sean was killed in a cane field near his Orange Valley, Couva home.

An autopsy found he died from internal bleeding caused when a cane stalk was inserted through the rectum.

Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Chatoo were teenagers when they first appeared before the court for the offence. 

A 17-year-old girl was killed when a driver lost control of his vehicle and slammed into her.

Shaquana Hills was at the time walking along the pavement in Pepper Village Fyzabad.

The accident occurred on Monday.

Shaquana’s mother Adafi Hills is grief stricken.

She said yesterday police questioned the 22-year-old driver of the vehicle.

Ms. Hills told reporters she wants justice for the loss of her daughter, whom she described as a loving child.

Police are continuing their investigation into the fatal accident.

Police and the National Security Minister say Jamaat al Muslimeen leader, Yasin Abu Bakr is not a threat.

Minister Fitzgerald Hinds yesterday said based on what the police have said the Imam is no threat to national security.

Acting Police Commissioner, Macdonald Jacob also said there is at this time, no reason to question the Imam after his warning to the State last Friday.

On the morning show on i95.5fm yesterday Mr. Jacob explained that the police reviewed a recording of sermon delivered by the Imam.

It was during Jumaah, the Imam warned the police, the army, the coast guard and the government saying too many black men and women are being killed.

The video clip of the sermon triggered concerns among members of the public.

The Acting Police Commissioner said guidance would also be sought from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Minister Hinds said the Imam’s utterances are not seen as a threat.

A member of the Dr. Keith Rowley’s Cabinet and family are now in quarantine, having been exposed to the coronavirus.

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley last night gave no further details of the situation involving his unnamed Cabinet member.

Dr. Rowley was addressing a meeting of his Peoples National Movement in Diego Martin.

He spoke of the impact of the coronavirus on the world, and particularly the region.

Dr. Rowley again lamented the number of people yet to be vaccinated against the virus.

He said that number is upwards of 600,000.

Dr. Rowley again expressed disappointment with the vaccination numbers in Tobago, as well as some people who have been protesting and claiming oppression.

The Prime Minister insisted, his PNM is in charge of the country and will do whatever is necessary to save lives.

He said his meeting this week with CARICOM leaders was very revealing and troubling.

Eight more COVID positive patients have died in Trinidad and Tobago.

Three were elderly men and 2 elderly women with comorbidities.

The other 3 were an elderly woman, a middle aged man and a young adult with no underlying conditions.

These deaths have brought the death toll in the country to 1,376.

The Ministry of Health has also revealed that there were 135 additional positive cases.

There are now 3,910 active cases nationwide.

So far this year 1,247 people have died from COVID-19.

Two hundred and seventy-one positive patients are hospitalised.

Three thousand four hundred and thirty-three are in home isolation.

The Ministry yesterday said 441,540 people are now fully vaccinated against the virus.