A hearing of the Vindra Naipaul-Coolman murder trail had to be cancelled yesterday due to the death of one of the accused, Allan "Scanny" Martin.
Although jurors in the trial were told to return to court in September for the restart of evidential hearings, prosecutors and defence attorneys yesterday were scheduled to continue their legal arguments in preparation for the future hearings before the jury.
When the case was called in the Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday, presiding Judge Malcolm Holdip suggested that the case be adjourned to this morning after hearing news of Martin's death. Martin was killed by police last Friday in a firefight with police after bolting from the Port-of-Spain prison.
Holdip is expected to address how Scanny's death will affect the future of trial, if at all, when the case resumes today.
Martin, Hassan Atwell and Christopher "Monster" Selby escaped from the prison at Frederick Street around midday last Friday. Atwell was found murdered at Bath Street, East Dry River, on Sunday, while Selby surrendered to police later that night. Selby remained in police custody up to late yesterday.
Martin was among 12 men who have been on trial since March last year for murdering the former Xtra Foods chief executive.
Naipaul-Coolman was abducted from her home at Lange Park, Chaguanas, on December 19, 2006.
A $122,000 ransom was paid by her family but she was not released and her body has never been found by police. Prosecutors contend she was held captive at a house in Upper La Puerta, Diego Martin, for several days before she was eventually killed.
The State is relying on circumstantial evidence recovered at the accused men's homes as well as the evidence of their main witness Keon Gloster, who was allegedly present at the time of the murder.
However, Gloster has claimed that he was coerced into signing the sworn statements which implicated the accused men, most of whom are his relatives.