Mother breaks down in Coroner’s Court

THE unmistakable sounds of sobbing could be heard in the Coroner’s Court yesterday morning as Julianne Weekes, mother of 12-year-old Shemar Weekes who died last May of unnatural causes, had a brief breakdown as the detailed forensic pathologist’s findings were read out by Coroner Manila Renee.

 

During this account, the Court heard that there were 15 injuries on the deceased body, which he described as simple in nature and possible during play because of their location on his body. The pathologist noted that other causes could not be ruled out.

 

Shemar Weekes was reportedly found hanging in the shed of his Checker Hall, St. Lucy home back in May 2015.

 

Coroner Renee, while reading from the report, also noted that even if a person was “making sport” with a noose around their neck, one can easily lose consciousness in a matter of 30 seconds.

 

“If you put your head in a noose thinking you are at home and there are persons there to save you and they are going to come to save you and then that doesn’t happen, you can’t change your mind. That is it according to the evidence of the pathologist,” the Coroner told the Court.

 

The three-hour court session allowed the Coroner to present several statements made both on the witness stand and statements taken by the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF). It was then that she compared conflicting statements on the night of the tragic death, made by mother Julianne Weekes and stepfather Shawn Greaves, her aunt Clarista Daniel (who was not in attendance) and a neighbour.

 

This included statements related to time or frequency of suicide threats made by the deceased; the last time Greaves spoke to Shemar; inconsistencies as it relates to deviant behaviour towards his mother; inconsistencies related to moments leading up to the discovery of Shemar in a shed; inconsistencies in the time Greaves was texted by Julianne to inform him of the hanging; and the time the call was eventually made to the Emergency Ambulance Services.

 

The Child Care Board received some criticism during yesterday’s sitting for failing to follow up on the case after the mother could not be initially be contacted via telephone, or upon receiving a letter inviting the mother to meet with Child Care Board officials, which she did not attend. Even though the officer in charge of the case was commended for seeking to meet with Julianne Weekes outside of her own working hours, she believes that more could have been done in this matter.

 

She said a discreet call or visit could’ve been made to the deceased mother’s workplace, or ensuring that the aunt who made the complaint to the agency was apprised of the alternatives available through the State in the form of temporary custody. She also noted that with the mother clearly not responding to attempts by the Child Care Board to gain contact, the officer could have stepped out of protocol and spoken to the neighbours to get a picture of the situation in the home.

 

The Coroner also drew light on the fact that the investigating team by the RBPF did not question the stepfather on the night Shemar was found, neither did they attempt to question the younger brother, who was at home, but according to mother Julianne Weekes, was asleep. She also chided the fact that no attempts were made by investigators to secure the phones or phone records between Weekes and Greaves, which were critical to the actual timeline of the incidents as they unfolded. (JH)