‘Skelly’ defends mother who was put out of court

Before Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls entered the court yesterday to deal with a kidnapping and murder hearing, accused Sheldon “Skelly” Lovell threatened policemen. Lovell made the threat after police had ordered his mother, Dianne Lovell, to leave the courtroom following her refusal to desist from talking to her son, who was sitting in the court’s holding cell. “Skelly” told the lawmen: “All yuh taking advantage of people. She ain’t do anything for all yuh to put her out. I not afraid of all yuh eh.” Sheldon “Skelly” Lovell along with two others appeared in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with the kidnapping and murder of Curepe businessman Dennis Persad-Jodhan.

Lovell, 31, was jointly charged along with Shawn “Gumbo” Vincent, 29 and Brent “Small Brent” Danglade for kidnapping and murdering Jodhan. The trio was also charged together with Jason Joseph, for falsely imprisoning Jodhan. Jodhan, 30, was kidnapped from his home at Evans Street, Curepe, opposite his father’s business place, Dumplin’s Mini Mart. A ransom of $80,000 was demanded for his safe return. However, five days later his body was discovered on a road leading to an agricultural estate off the Churchill Roosevelt Highway in Aranjuez. “Skelly” was also charged with Rondelle Roberts, who was later granted bail in the sum of $100,000, for kidnapping Ronald John, the brother of Former UNC Minister, Carlos John. John, psychologist,  was abducted from his Petra Street home in Woodbrook on March 26, 2003. He was rescued by police officers at a house on Upper Fairley Street, Tunapuna. This kidnapping was carried out approximately five months after his first kidnapping on October 2, 2002. Lovell and three others were clad in white t-shirts and jeans while Rondelle Roberts was dressed in a red shirt and brown pants.

He was urged to be quiet. It was then that Mc Nicolls walked into the court. Attorney for Lovell and Vincent, Patrick Godson-Phillips, was not in Court and attorney Ian Brooks held for him. Brooks stated that an application had been made in the Tunapuna Magistrates’ Court for the return of cell phones belonging to the two accused, but nothing had been done about it. “There is a complete laissez-faire attitude in dealing with the matter. “Two cell phones were taken from the two men on the day that they were arrested. I would like the cell phones to be returned to them.” The State prosecutor indicated  that Brooks’ request could not be granted at the time because the court had no “say” in the whereabouts of the phones. She also stated that if Brooks wanted the phones to be returned to the accused he would have to contact the arresting officers, one of whom was on vacation. The matter was then adjourned to September 26.