‘I was at home sleeping’

A welder told a jury yesterday  he could not have kidnapped Kevin Weeks and his girlfriend,  and robbed Weeks, because he was drunk and at home sleeping on Boxing morning 1999 when the incident is alleged to have happened.

Otis Samuel, of Esmeralda Road, Cunupia, is before Justice Herbert Volney in the Port-of-Spain First Criminal Court,  charged with kidnapping Weeks on the morning of December 26, 1999 and robbing him of his sneakers valued $1,200; a gold chain valued $800 and three gold rings together valued $1,600. Weeks and his girlfriend were awaiting transportation at Macoya Junction about 5.15 am when Samuel is alleged to have pulled alongside the couple with a car and ordered them in the vehicle  at gunpoint. There were three other men in the car. Samuel raised the alibi defence yesterday by testifying that he spent Christmas day at home, drinking. He claimed that he had so much to drink that he got intoxicated and slept through Christmas night until Boxing morning.

Samuel admitted to State prosecutor Alexander Prince that he did not raise an alibi defence at the  Magistrate’s Court and had only given notice of such a defence on Tuesday. At the Magistrate’s Court,  Samuel told the Magistrate that he  did not intend to give alibi evidence, but was still advised by the Magistrate that within the following ten days he could still give notice to the Director of Public Prosecution of an alibi defence.  Prince suggested to Samuel that the  reason it took him two years (until Tuesday) to give notice of an alibi defence  was because he was not at home, but at Macoya committing the crime. Samuel denied the allegation.

Samuel also admitted to having a scar under his right eye, which was one form of identification Weeks said he was able to recognise him. In response to defence attorney Mario Meritt, Samuel complained that the other men on the police identification parade in which he was pointed out by Weeks, were not of the same height, build, complexion etc. However, he admitted that he did not complain about “fairness” to Insp Michael Lashley who was conducting the parade. When hearing resumes today Volney is expected to sum up the case to the jury.