Last Wednesday the verdict on the preliminary inquiry concerning the Law Yu Kam murder fell! The trial case held at the Port Mathurin court in Rodrigues has been sent to the assize court. Margéot Ravina and Rajesh Momus had planned to burgle the Law Yu Kam couple, but they ended up murdering them and then getting away with the funds.

On the 4th July 2002, Jean and Marie-Jeanne Lam Yu Kam’s bodies were found at their home lying in a pool of blood. This couple had been living peacefully in Petit Gabriel, Rodrigues, and owned a small boutique. They were quite well off and therefore envied by certain people, especially by these two individuals who led a deprived life and had nothing. The two lawbreakers observed the couples’ habits for a day before comitting the dreadful and irreversible offence.

Margéot Ravina had a disturbed childhood and turned to crime and perversion. He had already committed several other crimes before this one, including rapes on young girls aged nine to twelve. He should serve a total of 39 years of jail for the 18 atrocious crimes he has perpetrated, not to mention his escape from the Pointe-la-Gueule prison in May 2002, in Rodrigues. Unfortunately, according to law, the sentences cannot be accumulated, which explains why he is getting away with only five years punishment.

<B>Apologies </B>

Both of the criminals werecaught and their case was heard at the assize court last Wednesday. Ravina and Momus pleaded guilty and even apologised to the court as well as to the victims’ family. Ravina claims that his primary intention was only to rob the couple, not kill them. He also used his disturbed childhood as a factor in his defence. However, the autopsy shows that Jean Law Yu Kam, also known as, Ti Kam, died of a fracture of the skull and a dislocation of the vertebrae, his wife died from multiple fractures of the skull. Authorities say that they very rarely see such violence. The two criminals were armed with a saber and an electric wire connected by two sticks of wood, which they used to strangle Ti Kam before breaking his neck by an uppercut.

Rajesh Momus was caught at the airport where the police force was in alert mode. He was immediately suspected because of his shabby clothing and the payment in cash of his airticket to the Seychelles, where he was hoping to escape to. He showed no remorse at all when confessing to the murder. Later on, Ravina was caught with the sum of Rs113 000 in his possession.

In the meantime, whilst waiting for the verdict of the assize court, they have both been in detention at the central prison of Beau Bassin.