‘It wasn’t me’

IN AN unexpected outburst that jolted those present at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court yesterday afternoon, murder and kidnapping accused Sheldon “Skelly” Lovell denied that he had any involvement in the kidnapping of businessman Dennis Persad-Jodhan. The outburst came while the evidence by chief State witness Joel “Footy” Phillips was being given. Persad-Jodhan was abducted outside his Evans Street, Curepe home on December 23, 2002. His body was found five days later on an agricultural plot in Aranjuez. Lovell and two other men, Shawn “Gumbo” Vincent and Brent “Small Brent” Danglade were jointly charged with the murder.  Phillips, who has been in protective custody for months, was granted immunity against the murder charge on December 30, 2003.

“Why are you lying on me boy?” Lovell shouted at Phillips from the prisoner’s dock. “I never kidnapped anybody. He’s lying on me. It’s better I go downstairs,” he continued. At that point Danglade’s attorney, Rangee Dolsingh, attempted to calm the irate Lovell, while his (Lovell’s) attorney Patrick Godson-Phillips quietly sat writing in his notepad. Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls, who was hearing the inquiry, said nothing. Lovell, however, was not easily pacified and he continued to shout, “I mind this man. I put him in somebody’s house to stay, he kidnapped the people and now he’s lying on me. He told me that the police put he up to this,” he concluded before he sat down. For the duration of the proceeding, he sat twisting his beard, occasionally mumbling, “You’re lying boy.” 

Following the interruption, State attorney Tricia Hudlin resumed her examination of the witness but not without frequent objections from Dolsingh.   When the prosecution rested at approximately 2.40 pm, Phillips was subjected to almost two hours of cross-examination by Godson-Phillips. The two Phillips locked horns several times over some of the questions asked by the attorney and the responses given by the witness. At one time Phillips complained that the attorney was shouting at him but was assured by McNicolls that he (McNicolls) would put a stop to it if he felt that the attorney was yelling. A theatrical Godson-Phillips even ventured into a line of questioning that was not covered by the immunity granted to the witness.

These questions invoked objections from Hudlin, which were overruled by McNicolls. The witness, McNicolls said, had been cautioned when he had last given evidence on Monday, that he was not bound to answer any questions that were not covered by his immunity and could incriminate him in other offences. A daring Phillips, however, opted to waive this right and answered some of the controversial questions. Upon completion of Godson-Phillips’ cross-examination, Dolsingh interrogated Phillips for approximately 20 minutes and then reserved further cross-examination. At Phillips’ soft spoken response to Dolsingh’s final question, Lovell stood and said, “I am not hearing what, I don’t know what to call him. I can’t hear his answer.”  “Don’t worry,” Dolsingh assured the accused, “he is not saying anything bad.” The former Deputy DPP will resume his cross-examination of Phillips on Monday morning.