Two dead, so only two appear on drug charge

Yesterday, when the case was called, only two appeared — the other two have been murdered.

On October 3, Andrew Skinner, Natalie Turner, Atiba Samuel, and Abby Johnson, appeared before Justice Anthony Carmona in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Criminal Court charged with possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

They were all represented by Theodore Guerra SC.

The case was put off to October 4 for the judge to deal with the question of bail. On that day, Carmona granted bail to the accused.

Just hours later, however, Skinner was dead. Skinner, 44, alias "Noon" of Quarry Street, Diego Martin, had been shot dead at the corner of St Lucien Road and the Diego Martin Main Road.

Skinner was shot dead while his four-year-old son sat in the back seat of his car.

When the matter was called again on October 18, Guerra told the judge that one of his clients had been killed. This took Carmona by surprise. "It was just last week he was here before me and he got bail," the judge said as he looked at the other three accused in the dock.

He asked them to be careful as they left the courtroom. Hearing was then adjourned to November 21.

On October 31, however, Samuel met his death. He was shot dead off St Lucien Road, Diego Martin.

When the matter was called yesterday, Turner and Johnson appeared before Justice Mark Mohammed. Attorney Richard Clarke-Wills, holding for Guerra, informed the court that two of the accused were dead. He tendered a death certificate for Samuel.

Neither the prosecution nor the defence was ready to proceed. The case was then adjourned to February 1, 2006.