Roy Jacobs, one of the four men charged with the murder of 72-year-old Clementine Fiedtkou-Parris, admitted to recruiting the men who carried out the hit, according to a caution statement that he gave the police and which was read at his trial yesterday.
Jacobs is on trial with brothers Orwin and Cleon Hinds and Kevin October, for the June 30, 2011, murder of Fiedtkou-Parris, who was fatally shot at her 42 Robb Street, Georgetown home.
State attorney Teshanna James-Lake moved to have the contents of Jacobs’ caution statement read in court by Lance Corporal Noel Sarabru, the rank who had recorded it. In the statement, Jacobs denied physically killing the elderly woman but admitted to “linking up” his friends to do the job.
Sarabru read sections of the statement where Jacobs claimed that he was drinking in Albouystown with some friends, who were identified as ‘Otis,’ ‘White Boy’ and ‘Two Pound.’ He said ‘Otis’ related his interest in recruiting two others to help him carry out the hit.
However, Jacobs reportedly told the man that he does not “go down them road” and instead agreed to help him find two persons who would. “After duh, I link up three ah me friends name ‘Dutchie,’ ‘Red man’ and ‘Troy’ and I tell them bout de wuk and them agree fuh go pon it. About two days after, me, ‘Otis’, ‘White Boy’ and ‘Pound’ went fuh check out de wuk. Otis carry me pun Robb Street and he show me a unpainted house and he seh a lady and she grandson alone live deh,” the statement read.
Additionally, Jacobs allegedly said that after checking out the house, he took the men to meet with ‘Otis,’ who related the plan to the men and a price was agreed upon for their assistance. However, Jacobs claimed that he was not a part of the discussion nor did he have a chance to hear what was discussed.
According to the statement, Jacobs admitted to being present in the car with ‘Dutchie,’ ‘Red Man,’ and ‘White Boy’ as they made their way to the woman’s house on the night she was killed. However, it added that he was dropped off at a “Chinese on the corner of Robb Street,” where he bought a Guinness. After buying the Guinness, Jacobs said, he heard the two shots and decided to walk out to Regent Street, where the men picked him up. They subsequently dropped him off at “Big Market.”
The following day, Jacobs claimed that he received $50,000 from ‘Dutchie’ from a total of $400,000 that he had received from Otis.
‘He want she go down’
Also mentioned in the statement was Jacobs’ belief as to who organised the hit.
“Before we did go pon de wuk, Otis went telling me that we didn’t got fuh worry because ‘Trans’ live next door and that’s how I get fuh figure out that is Trans’ work. About a week before, Trans—I think he name Satesh, because I hear Otis calling he Satesh—he come in Albouystown and he and Otis did talking and he did telling Otis that he and a lady deh in court over some land dispute and how de lady is a cross and he want she go down,” Jacobs said, according to the statement.
Jacobs claimed that the lady his friends were paid to kill was the same lady who was at the centre of Otis’ and Satesh’s discussion that day.
“Is the same lady Otis put we fuh kill on Robb Street, just next to Satesh store. I didn’t kill de lady. I only get me partners fuh go pun de wuk. Is Dutchie them kill de lady and Satesh and Otis organise de wuk,” he reportedly said.
Meanwhile, under-cross examination by attorney Moti Singh, who is representing October, Sarabru acknowledged that he could not identify to the court who ‘Otis’ and ‘Satesh’ were as the men were never brought before the court.
Collusion
Also called to testify during yesterday’s proceedings was Lance Corporal Robert Melville, who testified to Jacobs voluntarily giving the caution statement to Sarabru.
Additionally, Melville testified to having witnessed an oral statement made by Kevin October in the presence of Sarabru. He explained that after Sarabru made the allegation against October, he heard October admit to colluding with the others to kill Fiedtkou-Parris.
According to Melville, October reportedly said, “Offisah, ‘Dutchie’ reach me and tell me about this wuk. He tell me he want a man fuh move he pon the wuk. Me and ‘Chippie’ and Cleon brother— ‘Red Man’—went pon the wuk, but me and ‘Chippie’ stay in the car and ‘Dutchie’ and ‘Red Man’ went in the lady house.
“Them ain had a gun. I had to get a gun from Cleon ’cause them did wan use a knife,” he added.
Melville, while being cross-examined by Singh, denied that he was lying about witnessing the taking of the caution statement as well as his claims that October gave an oral statement.
The case is set to be called again at 9 am on Wednesday at the High Court in Georgetown, where it is being heard by Justice Navindra Singh and a 12-member jury.
