Lawyer absent, Huggins murder trial adjourned

THE CLINT Huggins murder trial was adjourned early yesterday because the advocate attorney for one of the accused was not present. Two witnesses testified, but they were warned by Justice Alice Yorke Soo-Hon that they might be recalled for further cross-examination. They were PC Inshan Jagmohan and retired Senior Superintendent of Police Mervyn Ghatt. 

When the matter was called yesterday, instructing attorney, Dawn Mohan, told the court that advocate attorney Keith Scotland, representing accused Leslie Huggins, was unable to attend court  because he was out of the country. Mohan explained that Scotland had an emergency which took him out of the jurisdiction on Friday. He is expected to be back in court today. Cousins Arnold Huggins and Leslie Huggins, together with Junior Phillip, are before the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court, charged with the February 20, 1996, murder of Clint Huggins, the key State witness against gang leader Dole Chadee. Arnold is being defended by Ian Stuart Brook, Leslie by Scotland instructed by Mohan,  and Philip by Osbourne Charles SC instructed by Chryslin Moore. Senior State attorney Wayne Rajbansee and Natasha George are prosecuting.  

Mohan told the court she was supposed to ask for an adjournment, but instead suggested that evidence be led from witnesses which would not directly affect Scotland’s client. PC Jagmohan was the first witness. He  testified that he escorted Clint Huggins’ partially burnt body from the Uriah Butler Highway to the mortuary of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Under cross-examination by Charles, Jagmohan could not say in exactly whose custody he had left the body, except to identify the person as a mortuary attendant.  Jagmohan accepted that on his return to the St Joseph Police Station he would have had to make an entry in the station diary as to what he had done. Charles made an application to have the diary brought to Court.

Ghatt, the second witness, said he knew Clint for about eight to nine years and identified the body at the mortuary to forensic pathologist Dr Ramnath Chandu Lal. The body was also identified by Clint’s father, Neville Huggins. In response to Charles, Ghatt said he would be guessing if he said who had custody of the body at the time. Charles did not question Ghatt any further, but reserved the right to do so later. Rajbansee told the Court the evidence of the third witness would have a direct impact on Scotland’s client. As a result, the judge decided to adjourn the matter to today.