Accused paid $100 to inspect death car

A Sangre Grande taxi driver testified yesterday that murder accused Leslie Huggins had asked him to drive to Uriah Butler Highway, Mt Hope, on Carnival Tuesday 1996,  to  check on his Laurel motorcar which he had earlier set ablaze for  insurance money.  In that car was the murdered body of Clint Huggins, the key State witness against Dole Chadee and his gang for murder.

Leslie, Arnold Huggins and Junior “Heads” Phillip, are before Justice Alice York Soo-Hon  in the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court, charged with the 1996 Carnival Tuesday morning (February 20) murder of Clint. The trio is alleged to have shot, bounced,  stabbed and beat Clint before placing his body in the back seat of the car and setting it on fire. The upper part of Clint’s body remained out the car while his feet which were inside the car were completely burnt. Vishwanath Jawahir, a “PH” driver at the time, testified that he was plying his car for hire from Sangre Grande to Cunapo on Carnival Tuesday morning when Leslie asked him to check and see whether the Laurel was completely burnt.

Jawahir, also called “Sharky,” told the jury that Leslie told him: “Money was a bit hard these days and the boys burn down the car for the insurance.” And that Leslie wanted him to go and see if the car was properly burnt. He offered to pay Jawahir  $100. Jawahir’s reply was, “ All yuh does do some kind of madness,” but promised to go.  After taking directions he dropped off his passengers and drove to the Uriah Butler Highway, Mt Hope.  He later went to Leslie’s Mulchan Street home and  reported to him that he had seen the car burnt but did not stop because there were a lot of police. Whilst there he heard Leslie ask: “How Clint taking so long with the car?” He said Leslie then told his girlfriend Sattie (Swarsatee Maharaj)  to call Clint. Sattie came back and reported that she was not getting through to Clint. He recalled when Leslie had asked him to check the burning car, Sattie,  Phillip and Simon  “Fatboy” Ragoonanan, were present. Jawahir said he was a school mate of Clint and knew Leslie for many years. He said he usually drove Leslie to Carnival fetes.  In 1996 he had taken Leslie and a girl called Margaret to the PSA fete and Sattie and Leslie to the Bel Air fete.