The man labelled by Police as “the country’s most wanted man” Sheldon “Skelly” Lovell and co-accused Sean “Gumbo” Vincent were yesterday granted bail in the sum of $200,000 each to be approved by the Clerk of the Peace.

They were however advised that bail was granted on certain conditionalities. The duo were informed that they are required to report to the Morvant Police Station every Monday and Friday between 1 and 5 pm, and that they must steer clear of all their alleged victims. The duo were granted bail after the results of a tracing were made available to the court. The tracing revealed that the men had several previous matters which were dismissed. The pair surrendered themselves to the Army in Barataria on Tuesday after spending about one month on the run.

On Tuesday, Magistrate Ejenny Espinet denied the men bail when they appeared before her in the Port-of-Spain First Magistrates’ Court to answer the charges of kidnapping Benedict Barette at Queen’s Park Savannah West on July 17, 2003. Other charges included imprisoning Barette at 58 Morne Coco Road, Petit Valley, on July 17, kidnapping Yves Ayoung-Chee at Queen’s Park Savannah West on July 17 and falsely imprisoning Ayoung-Chee at 58 Morne Coco Road, Petit Valley, on July 17 and 26. However, when the matter was called again yesterday the magistrate granted bail and adjourned the matter to next Friday when both Skelly, 31, and Gumbo, 29, will be brought before the court to join Kenny Bennett, 24, and Reginald Gibson, 30, who are also charged with the offences. Both men were represented in the matter by attorney Patrick Godson-Phillip.

The main suspect in the $60,000 robbery at Medford’s on the Flyover, Chaguanas, was arrested at Main Road, Chaguanas, yesterday.

The 45-year-old San Fernando man was arrested by a party of officers led by Sgt Dennis Housend and Ag Sgt Ajith Persad. Reports revealed that around midday yesterday, officers of the Central Division who were on an exercise nabbed the suspect while he was walking along Main Road, Chaguanas. He was taken to the Chaguanas Police Station where he was quizzed for several hours. The suspect will be placed on an identification parade today. The victim of the robbery, Ingrid Medford was informed that a suspect was held and  she was requested to attend an ID parade at the Chaguanas Police Station. The home of the suspect was also searched by officers of the Chaguanas CID. Medford reported to the police that on Sunday she was at the gas station when two men dressed in what appeared to be police uniforms with bullet proof vests entered the gas station and asked for Winston Medford. When told that he was not around they went to the office of Ingrid and informed her that they were investigating a report of robbery at the gas station. She requested identification from the men who placed a gun to her neck and ordered her to hand over $60,000 from a vault in the office. The men escaped in a car which was later found abandoned at Success Street, Chaguanas. Prints were secured from the car by fingerprint experts.

Newsday learned that following the robbery on Sunday, police obtained “perfect” descriptions of the two suspects. The suspect held yesterday matched the description of one of the two men involved in the robbery. Yesterday, Minister of National Security Howard Chin Lee confirmed a Newsday report that the two bandits who carried out the robbery in Chaguanas were not wearing authentic police uniforms when they carried out the act. Also yesterday, a 30-year-old man wanted for a series of other robberies in Central was also arrested. During the same exercise yesterday, a  22-year-old woman and her 23-year-old husband of Preysal were among 11 persons arrested in the series of raids carried out by officers of the Central Divison. The exercise started at 3 am and ended at midday. Officers went to the house in Preysal where they executed a search warrant and seized a stun-gun (a piece of equipment resembling a gun, used to shock persons) and a car believed to be stolen. Officers of the Customs and Excise Department were alerted about the stun gun and they were in the process of laying a charge against the couple. They are also expected to be charged with possession of a prohibited weapon. The officers of the Stolen Vehicles Squad based at the Port-of-Spain CID were also alerted and they confirmed that the car seized from the couple carried a stolen number plate. The number on the stolen silver Lancer car had the number plate of a Kia car. Others arrested were held for outstanding robberies and shootings in Central Division.

A 62-year-old woman stands to go blind after a close relative threw a corrosive substance in her face, police sources told Newsday yesterday.

The 73-year-old relative remained at large up to late evening, but police said an arrest is imminent. Carenage police said they have not yet obtained a statement from the victim, Ancilla Carrington, who is warded at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Reports are that around 9 am on Tuesday, Carrington and the relative had an altercation at her Constantine Street, Carenage home. The argument, according to police, arose when the man claimed that Carrington “killed” a certain part of his body. He then doused the woman’s face  with what Carenage police described as a corrosive substance. A neighbour then contacted the woman’s daughter in Morvant. Carrington was subsequently taken to the city hospital, where doctors told police she is in stable condition although she may lose her eyesight. PC Sifontis of the Carenage CID is continuing investigations.

SALINA SAHADATH, the woman accused of attempting to murder her six-year-old step-son by beating him on the head with a vehicle wheel-spanner, was yesterday committed by a Siparia magistrate to stand trial in the High Court.

The order was handed down to Sahadath, 25, by Senior Magistrate Lucina Cardenas-Ragoonanan who presided over the preliminary inquiry which lasted some 16 months. The inquiry saw some 12 prosecution witnesses, including the young victim, Nicholai Sieunarine, testify on the events of  the offence which was allegedly committed on April 10, 2002. On that day, Sahadath, a former waitress, allegedly gagged the child with his socks, tied his hands with his shoe laces then took a wheel-spanner from the trunk of her car, which she used to beat him on his head and face. She allegedly committed the act at Scott’s Road, Penal, after taking the child out from school early. Police said the bleeding child was rescued by a farmer and an ice-cream vendor who were standing nearby. Nicholai’s mother, Reena, had migrated to the United States and Sahadath was then living with the child’s father at their home at Sukhan Trace, Barrackpore. Nicholai was subsequently warded at the San Fernando General Hospital for a week. Neither Sieunarine nor his parents were present in court yesterday when the order was issued to Sahadath. however, a sister and a friend of the accused woman sat in the public gallery of the First Court.

Yesterday’s hearing commenced with police prosecutor Sgt David Cooper calling the State’s final witness, police complainant, Cpl Anthony Monsegue. After Cpl Monsegue gave evidence for over an hour, Sahadath’s attorney Ramnarine Surjansingh, was called upon to conduct cross-examination but he declined. Magistrate Cardenas-Ragoonanan then called upon Sahadath to indicate to the court whether she had any alibi or defence witnesses to testify on her behalf. The accused woman replied that she had none and also declined to take the witness stand. After a few minutes’ deliberation, Magistrate Cardenas-Ragoonanan ruled that a prima facie case was made out by the prosecution against Sahadath. The magistrate then committed the accused to stand trial at the next sitting of the Assizes.

ACTING Director of Public Prosecutions  Carla Browne-Antoine yesterday instructed officers of the North Eastern Division to charge a 16-year-old boy with the unlawful killing of teenager Gideon George.

The young man is to appear before a Port-of-Spain magistrate today to answer the charge laid by Cpl Patrick Thomas of the Morvant Criminal Investigations Department. Senior officers told Newsday yesterday that the explanation the teenager gave regarding a firearm suggests that he knows a lot about guns. Police were up to late evening searching several areas for the firearm used in Monday’s fatal shooting, which occurred at Never Dirty, Morvant. George was shot in the abdomen shortly before 11 am that day while, it was alleged, he and his friend were playing with a homemade shotgun. Young George died about 20 minutes after being shot.  A post-mortem performed at the Forensic Science Centre on Tuesday revealed he died as a result of the gunshot injury.

Three suspects in the firebombing of a tractor at a Beverly Hills housing project in Laventille, were among 18 persons arrested in a massive police/army exercise in Laventille yesterday.

The three suspects, in their early 20’s, were wanted for the firebombing incident on August 5, in which a tractor valued $250,000 from the firm S&M was firebombed. The three were also wanted for the shooting with intent on a house belonging to Leslie Ann Lewis at Beverly Hills a few days later. Lewis reported to the police that she was at her home when she was alerted by the sound of rapid gunfire. On checking, she saw spent shells in her living room and kitchen, and discovered that her house had been sprayed with bullets. Lewis claimed that the attack on her home came about because she had spoken out against the firebombing of the tractor.

The exercise yesterday started at 5 am and ended at 8.30 am. It involved more than 100 police and soldiers with assistance from officers of the Canine Branch and the Police Helicopter unit. Officers cordoned off several areas in Laventille and carried out searches at various homes. Those arrested were wanted on outstanding warrants for robberies committed. The exercise was coordinated by Supt Errol Denoon and included ASP Sealey, Inspectors Ramnarine, Brereton, Ag Inspector Sahadeo Singh and others.

ANGRY over a bad tackle during a beach football game on Tuesday evening, a 21-year-old La Brea man attacked the offending player with a cutlass he had brought from home. However, Alvin Celestine did not anticipate that his victim would pick up a broken length of pipe lying nearby and defend himself from the cutlass attack. 

Police said Celestine fell to the ground in an unconscious state after being dealt three blows to the head with the pipe. According to police reports, around 5.30 pm, both men were playing a small-goal football game on the sandy shores of Vessigny beach when Celestine and the 20-year-old man, both of whom reside at Vessigny Village, tackled each other for the ball. Both men started arguing with each other afterwards. Celestine reportedly issued several threats as he stormed off the beach. Several minutes later he returned with a cutlass and before several eyewitnesses chopped the 20-year-old man across the chest. As Celestine prepared to lunge forward to deliver a second chop, the victim of the chopping grabbed a piece of pipe lying nearby in the sand and struck Celestine three times on the head.

The other players took both men to the nearby Point Fortin District Hospital. Celestine was transferred to San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) where up to late yesterday he remained warded in critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit. Hospital sources disclosed that Celestine suffered a compound fracture to the skull. Police have since seized a cutlass but the length of pipe has not been found and is believed to have been thrown into the sea. Police returned to the beach yesterday to search for evidence. The 20-year-old man was treated for a chop wound on his chest and upon his discharge from hospital, was taken into custody. Sgt Jimmy Palloo of the Point Fortin Police Station is continuing inquiries.

A 37-year-old Coast Guard officer was arrested yesterday and charged with malicious damage of a glass door valued $1,000 using obscene language and resisting arrest. Police reports revealed that around 11.30 am, the man went to the repair section of WASA to lodge a complaint and an argument ensued.

Estate police officers were contacted and they asked the man to leave the compound. He refused and reportedly used obscene language. Reports revealed that officers tried to forcibly remove the man from the compound, and in the process, he reportedly broke a glass door. He was taken to the St Joseph Police Station where he was charged by Estate Corporal Holder with malicious damage to a glass door, obscene language and resisting arrest. He will appear before a Tunapuna magistrate today.

A YOUNG Tobagonian expressed his displeasure over police instructions to turn off the music at a fete at the Scarborough Market Square by blasting obscenities.

On Monday, he was fined $200 and warned to stay away from alcohol.
“At the time I was intoxicated and I can’t remember what I say,” Kedar Western told Magistrate Halcyon Yorke-Young. “And the morale of the story is?” the Magistrate asked a sheepish-looking Western, who remained lost for words. “If you have to get so pissed drunk that you cannot remember what you said, then you should not drink,” warned the Magistrate.