Murder accused walks free

Carrington, who was a father of nine children, was plying his taxi for hire on the Sangre Grande/Arima route on January 20, 2002. He was later found in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound in the chest at Upper Cemetery Street, Arima. His car was found half a mile away.

The prosecution in the matter yesterday told Madame Justice Alice Yorke Soo Hon in the Port-of-Spain First Criminal Court that they were unable to use a confession statement given by the accused as evidence, since it could not be determined if the statement had been provided voluntarily.

Attorney Kathy Ann Waterman-Latchoo said the State would not be able to discharge the heavy burden of proof that rests on the prosecution’s shoulders, and told the judge the State would not offer evidence in the matter.

Yorke Soo Hon commended the State for its conduct, saying the confession statement was the only evidence which could have been used by the prosecution. When the statement was taken from Straker, it was conducted before a Justice of the Peace (JP) and Straker’s girlfriend.

When the statement was completed, the JP did not ensure that the policeman wrote exactly what the accused said.