A British forensic expert is expected to testify in the Vindra Naipaul-Coolman murder trial in three weeks time.So said lead prosecutor Israel in the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court yesterday at the conclusion of the last hearing of the case before the start of the Judiciary's annual Easter holiday period.Although State prosecutors have not completed the testimony of their main witness Keon Gloster, Khan explained that the expert, Michael Molden, a retired United Kingdom crime scene investigator, was only available to come to Trinidad to testify between April 19 and 24.
Khan said if Gloster did not complete his evidence between when the trial resumed on April 13 and when Molden arrived, his (Gloster) testimony would be put on hold to facilitate the foreign witness.Molden was assigned to the Special Anti-Crime Bureau of T&T (Sautt) when Naipaul-Coolman was abducted from her Chaguanas home on December 19, 2006.
He supervised local police officers in collecting forensic evidence at the scene of the kidnapping as well as in Upper La Puerta, Diego Martin, the hillside community in west Trinidad where prosecutors contend the businesswoman was held captive before she was eventually killed and her body disposed of. Her body has never been found.
Gloster, who was allegedly present when the former Xtra Foods chief executive was killed and dismembered, has repeatedly claimed he was coerced by police into signing a series of statements which implicated the 12 accused men, most of whom are his relatives.Khan has spent the last month quizzing Gloster on his allegations and has since been granted permission by presiding judge Malcolm Holdip to have the main statement read to the 12-member jury.
As with previous hearings, Khan spent most of yesterday in a verbal battle with Gloster, who has not wavered from his position.Khan is seeking to have Gloster deemed a hostile witness in relation to the other statements in a bid to have them tendered into evidence as done with the first.When the case resumes on April 13, Khan is expected to call two police officers, including lead investigator retired ACP Nadhir Khan who was present when Gloster allegedly identified each of the accused men.
Who's in court
The 12 men before the jury and Justice Malcolm Holdip are Allan "Scanny" Martin, twin brothers Shervon and Devon Peters and their older brother Anthony Dwayne Gloster, siblings Keida and Jamille Garcia, brothers Marlon and Earl Trimmingham, Ronald Armstrong, Antonio Charles, Joel Fraser and Lyndon James.A 13th man, Raphael Williams, was charged with the crime but died in prison in 2011 of complications from sickle-cell anaemia.
Legal team
Their legal team includes Ulric Skerritt, Joseph Pantor, Selwyn Mohammed, Lennox Sankersingh, Ian Brooks, Wayne Sturge, Mario Merritt, Richard Valere, Kwesi Bekoe, Colin Selvon, Vince Charles, Christian Chandler, Delicia Helwig and Alexia Romero.The prosecution team includes Senior Counsel Israel Khan, Gilbert Peterson and Dana Seetahal, who are being assisted by senior state prosecutors Joy Balkaran and Kelly Thompson.