Chaguanas man freed of murder

Dennis Nebblett, 46, of Nebblett Street, Enterprise, Chaguanas, walked out of the Hall of Justice a free man after Justice Alice Yorke Soo Hon instructed the jury to return a not guilty verdict.

Nebblett was on trial before Soo Hon at the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court charged with the August 22, 2003, murder of Kevin "Shoe" Richards. Richards was a State witness against Selwyn Alexis, also called "Robocop."

State attorneys Nalini Singh and Tricia Hudlin yesterday withdrew the charges when Soo Hon refused to allow two oral statements allegedly given by Nebblett into evidence.

In one of the statements, Nebblett was reported to have said, "I kill that man. I bring him out to kill him." He was also alleged to have admitted to being "tight" with Alexis. According to the statement, on the day Nebblett was supposed to meet Richards near the Unit Trust in Chaguanas, he saw a man called Bob in a silver Nissan B14 car with some other men. He also saw Richards struggling with the men in the car. The plan, the statement said, was to kill Richards and throw his body in the sea.

Nebblett was represented by attorney Israel Khan SC.