Two sheep tied to back of Mitsubishi, dragged on public road

A young resident of “Top De Hill,” Diamonds Village, is grateful for the gift of a new lamb that was given to him this week, after the one he cared for was allegedly dragged on February 14 and died some days later.{{more}}

18 year-old Romario Toby told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday that he was thankful for the young ewe that was donated to him after his plight became a buzz on social media and a number of radio stations here.

Romario wrote a letter (See boy’s letter on Page 5 in ePaper) addressed to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture earlier this month, pleading for a lamb to replace the one that died.

“Three weeks ago I got up one morning and ask [sic] my younger brother Tyrell Toby to tie out the two sheep that the family owns….” the letter stated.

“Tyrell my brother tied the two sheep over by Mrs Eustace to graze in the grass. When Tyrell went for the two sheep in the evening he did not find them. We keep on looking all day Saturday but we did not find them,” the letter went on to say.

According to Romario’s letter, he was instructed on Sunday to search in the neighbouring village of Mount Grenan for his animals.

Romario told SEARCHLIGHT that when he did, he found the animals tethered in a field.

“The younger sheep or lamie [sic] could not stand up. The four feet and the chest of the sheep were dug up and badly bruised up exposing the raw flesh of the sheep…. two days after not eating the sheep died,” the letter said.

Romario’s handwritten letter requested of the Ministry of Agriculture to provide him with a replacement sheep, promising to “give back the Government a lamb, when it have [sic] younger one.”

Romario’s letter, along with letters written by two eye witnesses who admitted to seeing the animals being tied to a vehicle and dragged, were read on radio stations.

The two eye witnesses identified the driver of the vehicle as Jennifer Eustace, the wife of Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace.

According to one letter: “As the vehicle passed slowly by me I was the driver of the white Pajaro, Mrs Jennifer Eustace, she had a female passenger seated at the front. As they were passing I heard a noise that sounded like a sheep crying. When I look around, I saw 2 sheep tied to the centre bar of the two back doors on the left side of the vehicle, the animals were at the back of the vehicle, one lying flat on its belly dragging and the other on its feet.

“I shouted for her to stop and asked her if she realized she had animals dragging from the back of her vehicle. The lambs were bruised all over, the belly legs and face. She stopped and came out of the vehicle and I left them there. I continued my journey; all the way up I could see the blood from the lambs stained in a trail on the road.”

A portion of the other letter read: ”…I saw a white Mitsubishi IO travelling from the Diamonds road. As it passed by… I saw to the rear of the said vehicle a sheep being tied to the back of that vehicle and was dragged on its stomach. There were two females in the vehicle. One of the females, the driver, I recognized to be Mrs Eustace, wife of the Opposition Leader, Hon Arnhim Eustace….

“It was at that moment the driver of the vehicle was slowly passing her observed the sheep on it stomach tied to the rear of Mrs Eustace’s vehicle. She was alerted by the driver. She came out, untied the bruised animal and drove away.”

When SEARCHLIGHT visited the area on Wednesday, residents identified the area where the sheep were tied and where they were found. The distance was estimated to be about one kilometre, just over half a mile.

SEARCHLIGHT was on hand when an individual arrived on the scene and indicated that they had come to purchase a new ewe for Romario, on behalf of the ULP group of New York, United States.

“When they listened the programme last night and heard what transpired, they were disheartened that somebody would actually be cruel to an animal and as such decided to assist and they acted rather quickly.

“They called me last night and asked me to contact the mother of the boy, and I asked her to source the sheep which she did, and so we are here today to pay for the sheep,” the individual said.

Romario, accepting the sheep from the purchaser, said that he was happy for the replacement animal, and that he would be more careful this time around.

“Me go keep far from Miss Eustace and thing, and make sure they don’t go pon people property,” he proclaimed. Meanwhile , SEARCHLIGHT contacted the home of the opposition leader for a comment, and was told that a statement was to be released by Mrs Eustace on Thursday. Up to press time, no statement was received.

SEARCHLIGHT also understands that other entities, including the Ministry of Agriculture have pledged to give more sheep to Romario.