Three men accused of killing a Campbellville woman and dumping her body in a septic tank yesterday appeared in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court and pandemonium later broke out in the courtyard when a woman hurled threatening remarks at one of the accused.
Ralph Tyndall, 21, of ‘C ‘ Field Sophia, Anthony De Paul Hope called ‘Papa’, 20, also of ‘C’ Field Sophia and Kevin O’Neil, 21, of Seaforth Street, Campbellville were not required to plead to the capital offence when it was read to them by Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle.
The trio is accused of murdering Colleen Forrester on December 27 last at William Street, Campbellville. Hope, this newspaper understands, is Forrester’s nephew and he had resided at the address where her lifeless body was found.
Many of the trio’s relatives packed the courtroom for the proceedings and by the time it had concluded several were weeping. The trio was without representation yesterday.
A frightened looking Tyndall when asked if he had anything to say replied “I am not guilty my worship”, shaking his head.
The magistrate however informed him that he could not plead to the charge and he along with the others opted to say nothing. The other two had expressionless looks on their faces and at one point O’Neil smiled and even laughed.
Tyndall who said he was a mason/carpenter was observed muttering to himself as the case was coming to an end. Hope said he was employed as a mason while O’Neil said he was a barber operating in Trinidad.
As the three were being led from the court chute to the lock-ups many persons crowded the steps and the police struggled to contain the crowd. It was around this time that a woman began hurling comments at one of the accused in a loud tone.
The woman carried on with her behaviour for about fifteen minutes and the police made no attempt to arrest her or put her out of the compound.
She eventually went outside of the gate but continued to be abusive vowing that she would stay to see him (Hope) off to jail.
About an hour and a half later when the trio was placed in the prison van to be taken to Camp Street, she started up again at one point picking up her shoes and threatening to hit Hope in his face with it.
She even called the accused a whole series of names and threatened him but again ranks made no attempt to arrest the woman or order her out of the compound.
The body of Forrester was discovered at just around 9.55 am on Sunday after police conducted a search on the William Street, Campbellville property, where she was a caretaker.
They searched the place following a report by relatives that she was missing and discovered the body in the septic tank.
Forrester was reported missing after relatives were unable to ascertain her whereabouts. They reported that she had last been seen after returning home from the Main Big Lime in the early hours of December 27.
Since the discovery five persons were held by the police.
A post-mortem examination conducted several days later revealed that she died as a result of strangulation and blunt trauma to the head.
The Magistrate adjourned the matter to January 31 after the prosecution requested a one-month adjournment for the file to be completed.