Englishman in court ‘bright and early’

A WARNING issued to English resident Miles O’Connor by Magistrate Hyacinth Yorke-Young on January 8 did not go unheeded, as  “bright and early” yesterday morning O’Connor appeared for his scheduled hearing at the Port-of-Spain First Magistrates’ Court. O’Connor, of Whitney Drive, Hertfordshire, England, was charged with the vehicular manslaughter of two commuters on Christmas Day last year. O’Connor was allegedly driving one of the vehicles involved in a three-vehicle smash-up at the intersection of the Priority Bus Route and the Morvant intersection, in which the two people were killed.

The two, 38-year-old Dhanmatie Harrilal of Carapichaima and 38-year-old visiting Venezuelan Jose Alexis Gonzales Berbesi, were occupants of a maxi-taxi heading west along the PBR. O’Connor had been arrested and charged by Cpl Carol Cox-Hickson of the Barataria Police Station. When he made his second court appearance on January 8, Yorke-Young had increased the $200,000 bail set by Magistrate Betsy-Ann Peterson-Lambert on December 31, 2003 to $600,000, returned his passport and allowed him to leave the jurisdiction, but not without a serious warning. “You are being allowed to leave the country on the strength of your uncle’s goodwill and reputation,” the magistrate had said.

“This does not mean that when this matter is called you will find it wise not to show up. Don’t let anyone have to come looking for you because we will find you,” she had concluded. O’Connor is the nephew of businessman Peter O’Connor. When the matter was called yesterday before Magistrate Ejenny Es-pinet, the prosecution indicated that although they had one State witness ready to give evidence, it had not yet received the file from the police. The matter was adjourned to June 28 for mention, when a date for trial is expected to be set. O’Connor was represented by attorney Ravi Rajcoomar.