Ithaca murder accused remanded

May 13, 2009 News

The accused being transported to court

Ithaca murder accused Gladstone Williamson was yesterday charged with killing a 31-year old plantain chip vendor – Gertrude Edwards, of Lot 282 Ithaca Main Road, West Bank Berbice and formerly of Angoy’s Avenue.
He was charged with two counts for the attempted murder of the woman’s 13-year-old daughter, Kerry Edwards, and her niece, 16-year-old Samantha Charles, both of the same address.
He appeared before Magistrate Geeta Chandan Edmond at the New Amsterdam Magistrates’ Court and was not required to plead.
The incident took place on Friday May 8, at the woman’s home at Ithaca.

Lynette Lalloo, mother of the dead woman

Thirty-year old Gladstone Williamson, also known as ‘Addie’ of Angoy’s Avenue in New Amsterdam was remanded to New Amsterdam Prison and the matter transferred to the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court where he is expected to reappear on June 2.
He was unrepresented, yesterday. The shabbily dressed man was clad in a faded dark blue jersey with long sleeves and a black three-quarter trousers and sported unkempt hair.
The courtyard yesterday was filled with the relatives of the dead woman voicing tales of poverty and its true meaning, domestic abuse and demonic possession.
The eldest sister of the dead woman, Venus Lalloo, said, “We’re poor people we ain’t got a cent… tomorrow (Wednesday) is the funeral and we ain’t got money fuh buy a box fuh put she in, we ain’t got money fuh bury she. We need a li’l help fuh duh.”
Gertrude Edwards, was the mother of 13-year old Kerry Edwards, a second form (Grade Eight) student of the Berbice High School, five-year old Althea Williamson of Smythfield Nursery School, and six-year-old Gladstone Williamson of All Saint’s Primary School in New Amsterdam.
“We need help fuh them children. He (accused) mother claiming she gwine tek me li’l niece and nephew. But the li’l boy seh he ain’t going nowhere with she.”
The accused is said to be the father of the two younger children and though they were in the same home, they were unharmed.
In tears the mother of the dead woman, Lynette Lalloo, related that her grandson, six-year old Gladstone Williamson, told them that his father picked up a knife from the kitchen and cut his mother throat.
“He seh he see everything but he pretend he sleeping. He seh dem didn’t quarreling or anything…He seh both a dem go home the same time.”
The woman indicated that the murder accused and her daughter were together for a long time but the union was full blows, tears and more tears.
“He used to beat she bad. One time he beat she till she blackout and then he throw water fuh she catch she self but we never know it woulda turn to this.”
The family, between tears, claimed that they are sorry for the murder accused. “He tell me mother that he sorry fuh what he do to me sister. He seh that he ain’t do it off he own will; is something tek he over.”
When asked what was it that cause such a violent outburst, Venus Lalloo blurted out, “Is spirit had to tek he over.”
As she was saying this, another observer murmured, “Is the cocaine tek he over yuh mean.”
Lynette Lalloo declared that she knows the man was possessed and so was her son. She explained that during the wake on Monday night her 17-year-old son was taken over by an evil spirit that wanted to take another life. “He did deh just dancing up then the thing happen. If yuh see how me son deh ah fight up and go on.
“He start fuh cuss up, hit the fence and hold he throat fuh vomit. The thing in he seh ‘I want he life…I ain’t get the person yuh send me fuh. I want yuh son!’ If yuh see how me son behaving.
“He seh snake wrap round he. Is demon, all this ah telling ‘bout is demon I know.”
Gertrude Edwards was known to be a woman who did whatever it took to ensure that her children knew a future that was promising.
“She wuk hard fuh them and mek sure them go to school even though she couldn’t read and write and now this happen to she and them. What gwine happen to them now?”
According to the family, the children – Kerry Edwards and Samantha Charles— are still patients at the New Amsterdam Hospital but they are hoping that they would be released for the funeral.
(Melissa Johnson)