Inquest found driver culpable in death of my son but DPP’s chambers ruled against charge

Dear Editor,

Some months ago, a five-member jury at an inquest unanimously found that a hire car driver was criminally responsible for the death of my nine-year-old son Ramesh Loaknauth in a road accident, but much to my surprise a ruling has now been made by the DPP’s Chambers not to institute any charges in the matter.

The advice given to the police was brought to my attention a few days ago and still remains baffling to me as I can’t understand how this could have happened based on the findings of the jury.

The incident occurred at Dryshore, Essequibo Coast and involved a speeding vehicle in close proximity to my roadside home on August 07, 2006 and from the injuries sustained, my son never regained consciousness after being air-dashed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he died seven days later.

For some reason or the other, the police did not charge the driver for having committed any offence whatsoever and during umpteen visits to the Aurora Station, to ascertain the position it was revealed for a three-year period that investigations were still ongoing.

Sensing that justice was not forthcoming and I was being kept in the dark, in 2009, three years later, I consulted a city lawyer who filed a private criminal charge for causing death by dangerous driving against the driver who pleaded not guilty before a magistrate at the Suddie Court and was released on $35,000 bail.

Hearing into this charge had not commenced when a new development came about for an inquest to be held into the death of my son. On all the days evidence was taken in the Suddie court room at the inquest, the driver was always present until its conclusion on February 05, 2010.

From the action taken by the DPP’s Chambers, the inquest was just useless and a waste of time so what was the purpose for holding it?

There was nothing to hide with me being the loser all along not only from the death of my son but from the waste of hundreds of thousands of dollars to get justice in vain.

A review of the DPP Chamber’s advice in my opinion is necessary.

Yours faithfully,
Deodat Loaknauth

Editor’s note: A copy of this letter is being sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs Shalimar Ali-Hack for any comment she may wish to make.