11 December

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TT justice system can speed up appeals – CJ

CHIEF JUSTICE, Michael de Ia Bastide, told the Court of Appeal yesterday that the justice system of Trinidad and Tobago is capable of speeding up the hearing of appeals. The Chief Justice highlighted this yesterday when a 1996 conviction and sentence came up for appeal in the court. Dion Julien, who was convicted of rape in March 1996, appealed his conviction and sentence, had his conviction upheld, but his 20- year sentence was reduced to 10 years. The Court of Appeal comprising Chief Justice Michael de Ia Bastide and Justices Roger Hamel-Smith and Lloyd Gopeesingh, reduced the sentence of Julien, 23, after...

11 December

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Rapist’s sentence cut in half

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AN ELECTRICIAN who was sentenced to 20 years hard labour for raping a female executive assistant, had his sentence cut in half by the Court of Appeal yesterday. The case also took the shortest, record breaking period of time-three months and three weeks- to reach the Court of Appeal, be heard and determined. The Court of Appeal comprising Chief Justice Michael de Ia Bastide, Justice Roger Hamel- Smith and Justice Lloyd Gopeesingh, agreed that the 20 year sentence imposed on Dion Julien, 31 of Carenage, should be reduced to 10 years. Noting that this trial ended on March 25, 1996, and the appeal...

11 December

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Dramatic, historic court decision over kid’s blood

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Friday 16th February, 1996 IN AN unprecedented landmark decision, a High Court judge has ruled that a Tobago man is not the biological father of a child borne by his wife during their marriage. The dramatic judgment by Justice Shaffei Shah was made in favour of NeviIle Joseph, a professional printer, against his former wife, Ursula Joseph, of Easterfield Road, Mason Hall. Before making his historic decision, the judge carefully considered the sworn affidavits of both parties and two respected doctors and a report from another. Justice Shah declared that the plaintiff Neville Joseph is not the biological father of the...

10 December

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Robbery exhibits lost in 1990 coup

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SEVERAL exhibits in the Republic Bank San Juan branch robbery trial were destroyed by fire during the 1990 Muslimeen assault on Police Headquarters. This was the word coming yesterday from State prosecutor Geoffry Henderson when he indicated to the court that a videotape from the bank's security camera which had been tendered in evidence at the Magistrates Court, bad been destroyed in the attempted coup. Earlier in the trial, State witness Savitri Chuleung, a senior treasury officer at the bank, told the court that when she was kidnapped from her home and being taken to the bank, her kidnappers told her that...

10 December

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CpI Wayne Hayde wins $40,000 libel case

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16th April, 1996 Head of the Police Second Division, Corporal Wayne Hayde yesterday won a $40,000 court settlement from the Bomb newspaper. He was represented by attorney Martin George. Hayed had filed a libel suit on October 29, 1993 against the Bomb newspaper and its publisher, Sat Maharaj, and then Bomb writer Dr Morgan Job. The source of contention was an article head lined “Dimples greet bold coup plot” written by Dr Morgan Job and published on February 26, 1993. Yesterday, however, before Justice Annestine Sealey in the Port-of-Spain Second Civil Court, an order was entered into by consent of the two parties that...

07 December

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Accused freed after witness changes story

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A CARENAGE YOUTH who spent nearly five years in custody awaiting trial for murder was freed yesterday after one key prosecution witness changed his story and the other failed to appeal at the trial. The judge upheld a no-case submission after the prosecution was unable to prove the case against Danville Jacobs. One of the main witnesses, Gaylene Roach, failed to obey the summons to attend court, while the other, Sheldon Hinds, changed his story at the Assizes. Justice Melville Baird, presiding in the Port-of- Spain Third Assize Court; ordered that the proceedings of the trial be submitted to the Director of...

07 December

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Invalid guilty of robbery

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Year 1995A 46-YEAR-OLD invalid was yesterday found guilty of two counts of robbery with aggravation at the Port of Spain High Court. Kenrick Luke of Trou Macaque was on trial for a $200,000 bank robbery before Justice Melville Baird in the Fourth Criminal Court, Justice Baird postponed sentencing until Monday. Luke together with others robbed employees Alfie Skerritt of $239,900; US$4,000, CAN$250, EC$250 and Lucia Richardson of $l5,600 at the Bank of Commerce, Sangre Grande on May 16, 1993. Roger Gaspard and Reynold Waldropt prosecuted while Martin George conducted the defence. Several witnesses gave evidence including Lionel Sieunarine, who was...

07 December

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Bank robber with stroke to be sentenced Monday

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1995A 46-YEAR-OLD who robbed a bank in 1983 and then suffered a massive stroke in 1988 was found guilty yesterday of two counts of robbery. His lawyer asked that he not be sent to prison because "he is already paying for the rest of his life." Justice Melville Baird placed Kenrick Luke into police custody until Monday when he will pass sentence. Luke, of Trou Macaque, Laventille, with his right arm in a sling, his right foot in a brace, and walking with a stick, was before Justice Baird in the Port- of-Spain Fourth Assize Court charged with robbing the Sangre Grande...

07 December

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Luke guilty of robbery

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by Theron Boodan1995KENRICK LUKE was found guilty yesterday by a jury of robbing a Sangre Grande bank of $250,000 twelve years ago. On Monday he will know his fate when Justice Melville Baird will pass sentence on him, in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Assizes. According to the evidence, on May 16, 1983, around 10.15 am Luke and other armed men robbed the then National Commercial Bank. Sometime in 1988 Luke, 46, of Trou Macaque, suffered a stroke and is now unable to walk without the assistance of a walking apparatus. In a plea for mitigation, Luke's attorney Martin George, told the court that since...

07 December

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Judge puts child-killer on bond

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by Francis Joseph HIGH COURT Judge Richard Crane said yesterday the court has forgiven child-killer Avagale Dookie, but advised her that she still has to seek forgiveness from God. Justice Crane described Avagale’s case as "shocking" and added that "women don't do these things in any part of the world." He continued, "It is disheartening to think that you took this child's life. For that I will pray for you." But he stressed that Avagale was fortunate to have the services of the Probation Department at her disposal. Justice Crane said he accepted the report of Probation Officer Annette Brice. Dookie, 24, was...

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