Huggins was drunk when he was murdered

CLINT HUGGINS was drunk when he was murdered. He died from shock and haemorrhage as a result of 16 stab wounds, injuries caused by 19 pellets to the face and other injuries, a jury  heard yesterday.

According to a post-mortem report by forensic pathologist Dr Ramnath Chandu Lal, these were some of the injuries Clint suffered, including his legs being burnt and charred. A test also showed that Clint had enough alcohol in his blood to be intoxicated. Chandu Lal was not present to testify but his report was tendered into evidence by State prosecutor Wayne Rajbansie. In earlier testimony, firearm expert Derek Sanker said the pellets retrieved from Clint’s face came from a 16 bore cartridge. The jury  also heard from Supt Stephen Quashie that accused Junior “Heads” Phillip had taken him to the Valencia river, where it is alleged that Phillip and others had dumped the gun and the knife used in Clint’s murder and the keys for the Laurel motorcar in which his body was partly burnt.

Quashie said Phillip also took him to a spot on the Valencia stretch where two of the accused were alleged to have thrown their blood-stained sneakers and pants after killing Clint. He said they found nothing there. These searches took place some three years after Clint was murdered. Quashie was testifying against Phillip, Arnold Huggins and Leslie Huggins, who are before Justice Alice Yorke Soo-Hon in the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court charged with the murder of Clint on Carnival Tuesday — February 20, 1996. Clint was the key state witness against Dole Chadee and his gang for murder. Quashie said on November 6, 1999, he went to the homicide office where Phillip explained to him all he knew about the murder of Clint. Following this explanation, Quashie said Phillip dictated a statement to him in the presence of Justice of the Peace Ackbar Khan and Insp Dyo Mohammed.   

Quashie also recorded a statement from Leslie the day after Clint was killed. In that statement, Leslie related how Clint visited him early Carnival Sunday morning 1996 and he greeted Clint saying: “Stinker, is you who come last night.” The statement related how later that day they feasted on smoked herring and dumplings, and drank rum and beers. Leslie’s account of how Clint spent Carnival Sunday and Monday ran almost parallel to the account given by his wife Swarsatie Maharaj, except  Leslie’s account ended when Clint allegedly borrowed the couple’s car and $200 and drove away sometime after 2am on Tuesday. Maharaj said she and the accused drove to the Uriah Butler Highway, Mt Hope, and Leslie, Arnold and Junior murdered Clint. Leslie said he found out about Clint’s death from Clint’s father, Neville, during a telephone conversation on  Tuesday evening. When hearing resumes today, Quashie will continue with his testimony.