‘Skelly’ left behind at State prison

A SIMPLE transfer form to bring two prisoners from the Golden Grove State Prison to the Port-of-Spain Prison yesterday prevented the magistrate from concluding the preliminary inquiry into kidnapping charges against five men. Sheldon Lovell, also known as “Skelly,” and Sean “Gumbo” Vincent were left behind at the Golden Grove State Prison when their case was called before Senior Magistrate Ejenny Espinet in the Port-of-Spain First Magistrates’ Court. Lovell, Vincent, Brent “Small Brent” Danglade, Jason “Cat” Joseph, and Richard “Chinee” Kirton are charged with kidnapping Dennis Jodhan from his home at Lyndon Street in Curepe on December 23, 2002. Jodhan’s body was found five days later in an agricultural field off the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, Aranjuez.

When the inquiry was called yesterday, Lovell and Vincent were absent. State attorney Tricia Hudlin informed the court that the transfer form to bring Lovell and Vincent from the Golden Grove Prison to Port-of-Spain had not been sent. Defence attorney Rangee Dolsingh SC told the magistrate this was not the first time such an excuse was presented to the court. He did not blame the court or the court prosecutor for the delay, but rather the administrative arm for the form not being sent to the prison. He wanted to know why Lovell and Vincent were not brought to court. He said Danglade was brought to court because he is deemed a “special” prisoner under tight security. He is detained at the Golden Grove State Prison awaiting trial for murder. He is also one of the two key prosecution witnesses in the conspiracy to murder case against Jamaat-al-Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr.

Dolsingh said five witnesses had already given evidence in the inquiry and the court was convened to take the evidence of the final witness — the complainant — Corporal Hollis Jacob of the Homicide Bureau. “We are here to complete this matter, but we cannot proceed because of the transfer problem,” Dolsingh told the court. Defence counsel said he would be leaving the country on August 11 for a month and he was hoping that the matter would have been concluded before his departure. Espinet said she wanted to complete the inquiry as soon as possible and not to leave it lingering for weeks until Dolsingh returned to the country. Dolsingh said he spoke with the three accused present in court and they had no objection to the case continuing in his absence. The magistrate then adjourned hearing to August 11, when she expects to complete the inquiry.