4 men acquitted of St James murder

Joel Blake, of Juven Drive, Petit Valley; Rodney Rodriquez, of Upper Bournes Road, St James; Cliff Murphy, of Jameson Street, St James, and Keston Romano, of Plaisance Terrace, John John, were before Justice Mark Mohammed in the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court charged with the murder of Ashley Mathlin at Bournes Road, St James, on March 26, 2003.

When the matter was called yesterday, State attorney Alexander Prince said the State could not proceed with the matter and therefore, he was offering no evidence. He said having regard to the statements and interviews with the witnesses, it would not be in the interest of justice for the case to proceed.

Prince informed the court that the State would not be able to treat its witnesses as "credible witnesses." As a result, a 12-member jury was empanelled and the foreman formally announced not guilty verdicts in favour of the accused.

The four men were discharged and minutes later left the Hall of Justice accompanied by relatives and friends.

Wayne Sturge appeared for Blake, Theodore Guerra SC and Richard Mason for Rodriquez, Selwyn Mohammed for Murphy, and Keith Scotland and Gretel Baird for Romano.

The prosecution alleged that on March 25, 2003, around 10 pm, a witness, Lyn Lee Cockburn, was liming with Mathlin on a wall, one house away from Prosperity Club at Bournes Road, St James.

She saw Romano drinking opposite to the club. Some time later, she saw Romano and other men beating Mathlin. She subsequently identified the four accused as the men who beat Mathlin.

A report was made to the St James Police Station. Sgt Nandram Moonilal visited the scene and found Mathlin’s body in the road.

The body was removed to the Forensic Science Centre where Dr Eastlyn Donald-Burris conducted a post-mortem examination. She found that Mathlin died from a stab wound to the left side of the chest.

After the incident, police took statements from several witnesses. Four of them gave statutory declarations, describing how Mathlin died. But during the preliminary inquiry in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court, these witnesses gave conflicting evidence, saying the police forced them to give the statutory declarations.

At the close of the prosecution’s case, a no-case submission was made. However, Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls dismissed the submissions and committed the four accused on September 5, 2003, to stand trial at the Port-of-Spain Assizes.

The four remained in prison for the next 21 months awaiting trial for murder.