3 to hang for Huggins’ murder

Three men will hang for Clint Huggins’ murder.  Two cousins and a friend were found guilty yesterday of murdering Clint Huggins and were sentenced to hang by justice Alice Yorke Soo-Hon. The three to hang are Arnold Huggins, his cousin Leslie Huggins and friend Junior “Heads” Phillip.

The judge read the death sentences three times, once  to each prisoner, telling them that the sentence of the court is that they will be taken to a lawful prison, then to a place of execution, there to suffer death by hanging and “ may God have mercy upon your soul.” When the killers were asked if they had anything to say before sentence was passed upon them, they independently said “no.” But after,  Leslie opted to say something. He said: “Settie” (short for Swarsattie Maharaj, the key witness against them) fabricated this against me. I am innocent. You can’t see soldiers kill the man. Soldiers kill the man as clear as day. What else yuh want?” Justice Soo-Hon said, “thank you,” and the prisoners were then taken away. The jury which had spent several weeks listening to evidence in the trial took about two hours to return their verdicts.

Maharaj, an  eye-see witness to the killing of Clint was granted immunity in return for her testimony, but refused to comment on the verdict yesterday. Maharaj who had a common-law relationship with both Leslie and Phillip, and allegedly had an intimate relationship with Arnold, did not look at the prisoners while the death sentence was being read. She bent her head. Phillip  was represented by Osbourne Charles SC, Leslie by Keith Scotland and Dawn Mohan and Arnold by Ian Stuart Brook.  State prosecutors were Wayne Rajbansie and Natasha George.

The three men had  shot, bounced with a car, stabbed and beaten Clint to death at the Uriah Butler Highway on Carnival Tuesday — February 20, 1996. Maharaj’s testimony was that she was with the men when they killed Clint. They were offered $3 million to kill Clint who at the time was the key State witness against Dole Chadee and his gang for the murder of a Willaimsville family of four. The contract to kill Clint  was offered to Leslie by Joey Ramiah, a hitman for Chadee, who was also hanged with Chadee and his gang.