Mom of three charged with murder of courier

A 26-year-old mother of three was charged late yesterday with the murder of  Carlos Phillip, a Diego Martin father of two, whose nude body was fished out of a cayman-infested pond at Longdenville on Christmas Day.

The woman was arrested in a sting operation on Friday in Chaguanas by a team of officers led by Supt Fredericks and including Sgt Phillip and Ag Sgt Ajith Persad. She was taken to the Couva CID where she was interrogated. Yesterday, investigators Sgt Phillip and Ag Sgt Ajith Persad sought directions from the DPP on the matter. Instructions were given late yesterday, and the woman was charged by Ag Sgt Persad. She will appear before a Chaguanas magistrate today.

Phillip, a courier with National Helicopter Services, was reported missing on December 23. Around 5 pm on Christmas Day, a Longdenville villager saw the body of a man floating in the pond. Officers of the Chaguanas CID and homicide went to the scene along with District Medical Officer Dr Ray Chowdary. An autopsy revealed that Phillip was stabbed several times on the neck. His hands and feet were bound together and cloth was stuffed in his mouth. The burnt out car belonging to Phillip was discovered at Talparo on December 29. Extensive investigations were carried out by Sgt Phillip and Ag Sgt Ajith Persad who set up the sting operation to arrest the prime suspect.