NATIONAL cricketer Jonathan Augustus walked out of Chaguanas First Magistrates’ Court a free man after being charged with causing the death of two young men by reckless driving.

Maloney resident David Sealey, 19, and Shawn John of Morvant lost their lives on December 5, 2004, when Augustus, who was driving a pick-up van, ran into them while they and their work colleagues sheltered rain under a concrete bus shed on the Solomon Hochoy Highway, Chaguanas.

The entire bus shed came crashing down, pinning them under the rubble.

John died on the spot; Sealey died later at the Chaguanas Health Centre.

The others were critically injured and were warded at the Port of Spain General Hospital, where some were given a 50-50 chance of survival.

They were all close friends and employees of Standard Distributors in Chaguanas, and were on their way to work when they were delayed by the rain and forced to seek shelter in the bus shed.

DAVID SEALEY
dead at 19.

JONATHAN AUGUSTUS

Eyewitness said that Jonathan appeared to be speeding when he took up a skid and slammed into the bus shed.

TnT Mirror was told that Jonathan looked like he was trying to overtake on the shoulders.

One of the survivors from the accident and schoolmate of Sealey, Kafele Greene, is still counting his blessings that he did not die.

He told Mirror that Sealey and John did not deserve to die like that.

At Sealey’s funeral, his friends and family had demanded justice.

The matter was heard before Magistrate Nanette Forde-John.

Augustus’ defence was that he got a bad drive from a black Honda Civic.

His side of the story stood up in court, and last week Wednesday the matter was thrown out.

“Justice is not for the poor,” said Michael Sealey, David’s father.

“I feel so hurt and disappointed,” he added, with tears in his eyes.

“My son would have been 21 years on March 28,” said David’s mother, Sylvia.

“All I could have done for my son was go and clean his grave and light candles on it,” she added sadly.

“That cricketer denied my son the chance of seeing his 21st birthday.

“This man killed my only son and he gets a pat on the back, free to go home, as if my son was the wrong one.

“We never even got an apology. Our son was not a bad boy; he was on his way to his second day of his new job.”