Bleeding accused sent to hospital

The sister of murder victim Jamal Jerome wept while giving evidence before Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls in the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court yesterday. Farlan Jerome, 20, and five months pregnant, testified along with Corporal Clevon Brown of the Port-of-Spain CID, and a 13-year-old girl. They were cross-examined by State attorney Marissa Gomez and defence attorney, Wayne Sturge. To date, 13 people have testified in the inquiry.

Jamal was shot dead at his Gonzales Terrace, Gonzales home by gunmen pretending to be police officers. His sister Sheriffa was also shot in her chest but survived the attack. Shondelle Riley, 26, of Maloney Trace, East Dry River, is charged with the murder. The charge was laid by Acting Inspector Glenn Sylvester of the Belmont Police Station. Riley was reportedly stabbed in the leg and head while in prison. When he appeared before Magistrate Mc Nicolls in June, he was bleeding from the stab wounds and was ordered to be taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital for treatment. He was then allegedly attacked again in prison and his foot was injured a second time. His attorney Wayne Sturge told Mc Nicolls yesterday that his client was not receiving any medical attention for injuries sustained while in prison. “Mr Sturge you said your client had not received any medical attention, yet I see a fresh bandage around his foot,” Mc Nicolls said, after he saw Riley’s foot. Sturge then explained that his client had only changed the bandage, but did not get any pills or pain killers for the injury. The Chief Magistrate made an application for Riley to be admitted to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital for medical attention. The matter was adjourned to September 30.