Murder accused sent to St Ann’s for observation

A murder accused who stripped naked at the Siparia Police Station yesterday had to be clothed and bodily carried by police to the nearby court. Denzil Garcia, 30, who appeared incoherent, was remanded to the St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital when he appeared before Siparia First Court Magistrate Jo-Ann Connor charged with the murder of Catherine Ann Corrion, 89.

Earlier, the magistrate had insisted that Garcia appear before her and even suggested that the police drape the accused in a garbage bag. Garcia is charged with murdering the Grenada-born Corrion, also known as Aunty Ivy, on July 14 at her home on Railway Road, Siparia home.

It is alleged that he cracked her skull with a stone. Police arrested him at the crime scene. He was charged by Sgt Jaggernath. Earlier, court prosecutor Sgt Dridgenath Sookraj told the magistrate that police were having difficulty bringing him to court because Garcia was “naked as he born in the cell” and “appeared not to be of sound mind.”

“You don’t have a garbage bag? Use duct tape and tie the garbage bag around his waist and bring him here,” she said. The magistrate explained she could not remand him to the St Ann’s Hospital unless he appeared before her. Less than 20 minutes later the police brought him in. They secured the front gate to the courtyard and cleared the area before they brought him out of the transport.

With his hands cuffed behind him, Garcia was then lifted by several officers and immediately taken before the court. Asked by the magistrate whether he is Denzil Garcia, he said, “Yes, I am Denzil Garcia.” She read the charge and asked him whether he had an attorney. Garcia began making incoherent utterances when the magistrate asked him if he intended to retain a lawyer.

He said his family would get him a lawyer, maybe next week or in two weeks, then, that if he cuts his hair he will get a lawyer and “everything will be okay then.” She asked him if he had ever been a patient at St Ann’s, but he began talking incoherently. The magistrate also asked if his relatives were in court, but they were not there. She then remanded him to the St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital for observation. The matter was adjourned to August 3.