Jury shown video footage

The jury in the Vindra Naipaul-Coolman murder trial was shown video footage yesterday of the house where the State contends the businesswoman was murdered. The jury did not get to view the entire recording as legal arguments forced High Court Judge Malcolm Holdip to order the 12-member panel to return today when the trial resumes. Yesterday Cpl Nigel Stephens of the police Audio Visual Unit pointed out two of the 12 accused as being on the recording.  It showed inside and outside the unpainted brick house at Upper La Puerta Avenue, Diego Martin.

Inside the house, a pooltable was shown propped up against a wall. The State alleges that Naipaul-Coolman was seated on the pooltable before she was shot once in the chest.
Stephens said on the night of January 5, 2006 he spoke with then ACP Maurice Piggott before heading to police headquarters. Around 4 am the following day he and Sgt Frederick went to Diego Martin where Frederick pointed out the red brick house. Afterward he began video recording people, three of whom had been arrested at the house, and other objects in and around the house.

Stephens also recorded a two-storey house next to the house where Naipaul-Coolman was allegedly killed. In that house a black handgun and magazine shown on the tape were found. 
He said he subsequently handed over the recording to then Supt Nadhir Khan. Naipaul-Coolman, the CEO of Xtra Foods Supermarket, Grand Bazaar, was snatched from her home at Radix Road, Lange Park, Chaguanas, around 8.30 pm on December 19, 2006. A $122,000 ransom was paid for her release but she has never been seen since and her body has not been found.

Before the court

The accused are Shervon “Buffy” Peters; Keida Garcia, Marlon “Mad Man Marlon” Trimmingham; Earl “Bobo” Trimmingham; Ronald “22” Armstrong; Antonio “Hedges” Charles; Joel “Ninja” Fraser; Lyndon “Iron” James; Allan “Scann” Martins; Devon “Blackboy” Peters; Anthony Dwayne Gloster, also called Anthony Peters and Jamile “WASA” Garcia. A 13th accused, Raphael Williams, died in prison in 2011.