Penal family abandons home after murder

News

STILL reeling from the attack on March 24, which left one relative dead, a Penal family has not slept at their home since the incident.

Sheldon Harripersad, 54, said memories of the incident which saw his 34-year-old son Brandon being murdered, are still raw and his family members have not had a peaceful night's rest at their Batchyia Trace home. Harripersad told Newsday he, his wife, 57 and daughter, 24, opted instead to stay at an unnamed location.

"I can't stay here with my daughter and my wife alone. It's not two men again (in the house). It's one. We just don't want to stay here."

Harripersad was shot in his left hand while trying to fight off the attackers who came around 11 pm on Monday. He was awakened by screams from his son who begged for help outside but was attacked by one of the gunmen when he (Harripersad) exited the garage.

He found his son lying in the yard covered in blood before running off to hide in some nearby bushes.

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The attackers drove over Brandon body with the family's Mazda 3 car as they made their escape.

He was declared dead at the scene by a district medical officer and an autopsy was ordered at the Forensic Science Complex, St James.

Although his wife and daughter visited the complex on March 25 to identify the body, Harripersad said they were informed the autopsy would not be done until the middle of next week.

"(They said) because there are two holidays back to back plus it have other people waiting to get cut up (autopsied) in front of him."

Both Eid ul Fitr and Shouter Baptist Liberation Day fall on March 30 leading to President Christine Kangaloo appointing March 31 and April 1 as public holidays for Eid and Liberation Day respectively.

Harripersad said investigators told the family on March 26 that they were unable to locate the vehicle despite conducting several searches. His son's killers also remain at large.