Lawyer objects to immunity for witness

DEFENCE attorney Rangee Dolsingh on Tuesday vehemently objected to the immunity granted to a State witness on the ground that the immunity document contained incorrect information and had not been signed by the witness. The witness, Joel Phillips, only got as far as stating his name, when his examination by State attorney Debby-Ann Bassaw was brought to a halt by an objection from Dolsingh. According to Dolsingh, the copy of the immunity document in his possession, dated December 30, 2003, had not been signed by Phillips and it bore the alias “Foots” instead of the alias “Footy,” which was given under oath by the witness moments earlier.  

When the original document was presented to the court by Phillips on the recommendation of Dolsingh, it was also found to be “incorrect.”  Bassaw, who told the court that the witness was known by several names, Footy being one of them, then requested an adjournment to get the document corrected. This prompted an outburst from Dolsingh. “This is wasting time,” he said.  “That name is not on the document. For whatever reason this immunity is not good and he (Phillips) knows that.” Phillips, who was in protective custody, had been scheduled to give evidence on the last ten occasions that the matter had been called but was never brought to the court. He was reportedly in protective custody for over a month but had only been granted immunity yesterday. Dolsingh, one of the attorneys representing murder accused Sheldon “Skelly” Lovell, Shawn “Gumbo” Vincent and Brent “Small Brent” Danglade, told Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls that he was not sure if Phillips had volunteered to give evidence, or if he had been brought to court under duress.

When asked by the prosecutor if the evidence he intended to give was voluntary, Phillips answered, “Yes.” His evidence, which comprised of two sentences, was then read back to him and he was escorted out of the courtroom through a door used exclusively by court officials and taken to an undisclosed location. McNicolls then allowed Bassaw until January 5, 2004 to get her “house in order.” Lovell, Danglade and Vincent were jointly charged with the December 28, 2002, murder of businessman Dennis Persad-Jodhan. Persad Jodhan was abducted outside his Evans Street, Curepe home on December 23, 2002. His body was found five days later in an agricultural plot in Aranguez. Pathologist Hughvon Des Vignes and Persad-Jodhan’s cousin, Lester Jodhan, also gave evidence on Tuesday.