'Strange things at haunted house'

By FRANCIS JOSEPH

BUSINESSMAN Charles James said yesterday that one year after the death of Akiel Chambers, his wife Annelore experienced nightmares and made funny noises at night. He said his wife also complained that the lights and television were going on for themselves and that their matrimonial home at 23 Balata Terrace was haunted. As far as he was concerned, his house is not haunted. He also stated that Akiel Chambers did not drown in his pool at Haleland Park, Maraval.

James told a Coroner's inquest that there are so many unanswered questions relating to Akiel's death that maybe, "the boy flew off an avocado tree into his pool." This caused laughter from a packed courtroom which included students from the Hugh Wooding Law School. James and his estranged wife Annelore gave evidence before Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls, presiding as Coroner, in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrates' Court yesterday. The Coroner is seeking to determine how 11-year-old Akiel Chambers died. Akiel's body was found floating in James' pool on May 24, 1998, hours after attending a birthday party for James' daughter Carrie. James said that on May 23, 1998, he left home around 10.30 am to attend races at Santa Rosa Park, Arima. He did not know that his wife was hosting a party at their home on that day. He said that three weeks before, his wife asked his permission to host a pool party for Carrie, but he said no, that it was dangerous having a pool party. On his return to his home around 8 pm that day, James said he remembered seeing a lady sitting in the entrance of the driveway. "I said good evening. I opened the door and went inside. I cannot recall if the woman responded. My wife was in the kitchen when I passed through. I went straight to my room.

James said his wife never told him that someone was missing. He said he awoke around five o'clock the next morning and left 35 minutes later for the paddock at Santa Rosa Park and his farm in Arima. James said his wife did not come to bed that night. He could not recall seeing his wife before leaving for Santa Rosa where he remained at the paddock until 10 am. He then went to his farm where he stayed until midday before proceeding to the home of a friend in Arima where he stayed until 2 pm. James returned to his Maraval residence at 2.45 pm. When asked by the Coroner if he had a cell phone, James said yes. He said his phone was on and even if the reception was bad in the area, he was a member of the Betting Levy Board and the PA system at Arima would have relayed a message to him. When he arrived home, James said he saw a marked police jeep in front of his driveway. "The first thing that went through my mind was that my daughter (Chantal) was in an accident. She had just gotten her driver's licence. I parked my car, opened the kitchen door and I saw my wife and two policemen sitting around the table. "The first thing I asked was what happened to Chantal? My wife turned and tell me to sit down. She said 'you are not going to believe this' and I asked 'believe what?' She said they (the police) found a body in the pool. I asked what body? She said there was a party here and this boy drowned in the pool."

James said he got very angry, opened the door and visited the pool area. He looked into the pool. "It was clear as day; you could see a pin at the bottom of the pool." James went back inside and asked what had happened. "I started to question my wife, I wanted to know what was going on. How could a body just turn up in the pool. What time was this party? The information I got was that he was missing since four o'clock on Saturday." James said the police stated that they came to his house on Saturday night and checked his pool. "I said, you came to my house, checked my pool, and told me nothing? I turned to my wife and asked her why I was not told. She said it was not important enough to tell me because the boy was only missing. I turned to the two policemen and told them that the boy did not drown in my pool, because if he had drowned in my pool, it was too clear for no one to see what happened." James said he asked the policemen to take samples from his pool to determine whether the water found in Akiel's lungs were the same. He then went to Henry Street to look for Akiel's relatives. "When I got there, a big strong woman came to the door. I told her that I came to pay my respects for what had happened. She told me that I was with the white woman at the police station. I asked the woman if she was sure. Another woman came up and said no, it was not me. I offered to help the family with funeral expenses and I left." James said he returned home around 5 pm and asked his wife who was with her at the police station. He said he found out it was one Mr Craigwell, a parent who attended the party the afternoon before. He said he was never interviewed by the police. He never gave a statement in the matter.

When asked by the Coroner if he had anything further to say, James replied, "over the years, my wife started to age. She is now 54 years and I am 58. I thought that is how white people age. After a year, she tell me she cannot live here anymore, that the lights and the television come on for themselves and that the house is haunted. I told her I never experienced that and the house was not haunted." James continued, "there are a lot of unanswered questions to this incident. Something is wrong. The court should get to the bottom of this. My wife used to scream out in the night. She used to make funny noises. I feel the boy flew off an avocado tree and into the pool," James added as the court erupted into laughter.

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