Orwin Hinds admitted to being present when his friend shot 72-year-old Clementine Fiedtkou-Parris, according to a caution statement read yesterday at his trial, which also heard that the men were hired to kill the woman over a land dispute.
Hinds and his brother, Cleon Hinds, along with Roy Jacobs and Kevin October are currently on trial before High Court Judge Navindra Singh for the June 30th, 2011, murder of Fiedtkou-Parris, who was fatally shot at her 42 Robb Street, Georgetown home.
When the trial continued yesterday, state attorney Narissa Leander moved to have the contents of Orwin’s caution statement read in court by Lance Corporal Mark Garnett, the rank who witnessed it being recorded. The statement included a detailed account of what happened in the days leading up to the killing of Fiedtkou-Parris as well as on the night she was killed.
According to the statement, Orwin told police that three days before the murder, his brother Cleon was approached by someone named ‘Black Boy’ to borrow a gun—a request that resulted in a meeting being arranged to discuss the gun.
“Me and my friend meet ‘Black Boy’ and ‘Dutchie’ at the 40 bus park and ‘Black Boy’ tell we that he does work for a big Indian man and the man want he to kill a woman over some land problem. And they want to use the gun to do the work. I ask them how much money they getting to do the work and ‘Black Boy’ said $1.5 million for she head and that them gon’ give we one hundred thousand dollars to rent the gun. Me tell he that I gon rent he the gun when they ready,” the statement read.
According to the caution statement, Orwin said he received a call from ‘Black Boy’ the following day and another meeting was arranged and this time the plan to kill Fiedtkou- Parris was discussed and the men decided to visit the woman’s property.
“We went in Troy car, which he was driving, and Black boy carry we to a house in Robb Street next to Trans Pacific and he said the woman does live there. We left and went away and we decide that we gon do the work the next day. The next day about 8 o’clock in the night, ‘Black Boy’ call me and me and Cleon went and meet them at Kitty Bus Park. Only ‘Black Boy’ and Dutchie went at the park, Troy come up shortly after and Cleon pass over the gun to in a black bag into Troy car and ‘Black boy’ collect it. Troy was driving and ‘Black Boy’ went in the front seat and ‘Dutchie’ went in the back seat and them tell me to come along to see everything is alright. I gone in the car and sit in the back seat right behind Troy. Cleon did not come in the car. Troy then tell me to put the gun in a stash and he pull out the tape deck and put in the gun,” Orwin reportedly said.
Orwin said that after ‘Troy’ parked the car, he took out the gun and gave it to ‘Dutchie,’ who, according to Orwin, was supposed to be accompanied by ‘Black Boy.’ However, plans changed after ‘Black Boy’ claimed to have known somebody present at the location.
As a result, Orwin told investigators that ‘Black Boy’ asked him to go with ‘Dutchie’. Orwin said that he initially objected to going as he said, “this is you all thing, me in want no part of this.”
However, Troy reportedly interjected and told him that if he went along he would not have to do anything.
As a result, Orwin explained that he and ‘Dutchie’ exited the car and made their way to dead woman’s house, where they passed a “big man pon the step.”
Orwin reportedly said, “When the place get clear, ‘Dutchie’ touch me and tell me let we go along. Dutchie walk in front and me follow he. Dutchie open the gate and walk up the step and said goodnight to the big man who went on the step and ask the big man if aunty deh home. The big man call the lady and she answer and the big man tell she somebody come to you. She ask is who and ‘Dutchie’ said, ‘Aunty, Aunty.’ She come by the door first, this time I went about two or three treader up the steps but I was seeing the lady from the window.”
Based on the statement, it was then that ‘Dutchie’ pushed the “big man aside” and instructed Orwin to hold him.
“……I hear two gunshot, me see ‘Dutchie’ with the gun in he hand and me run back to the car. ‘Dutchie’ come behind and he jump in the same car and Troy drive away with me, ‘Dutchie’ and ‘Black Boy’ in the car. ‘Dutchie’ give back Troy the gun and he put it behind the tape deck and he drive and carry we to ‘Black Boy’ house on Lombard Street. I call Cleon to pick me up at ‘Black Boy’ house. When Cleon come, ‘Black Boy’ tell he to go around the scene and see if the lady dead. Cleon left in Troy car and went to the scene and he came back about 15 minutes and said he see a lot of police at the scene. By then, ‘Black Boy’ bin done take out the gun and carry it to his house. Black Boy went and collect the gun from his house and give it to Cleon,” he reportedly added.
In the statement, Orwin revealed that the following day, he heard that Fiedtkou-Parris was dead. He also explained that it was on the same day that his brother, Cleon, called him to collect the money from the hit.
Orwin allegedly said, “I went and meet Cleon on the park and me and Cleon went to ‘Black Boy’ house. I come out the car and went into ‘Black Boy’ house and ‘Black Boy’ take out some money from a suitcase in front he girl and he give me eighty- thousand dollars. Cleon ask he for a raise and he give Cleon five thousand dollars. Me and Cleon left and me give Cleon twenty thousand dollars, Cleon drop me at 42 bus park and I went
home….”
Meanwhile, under cross-examination by Orwin Hinds’ attorney, George Thomas, Garnett denied the accusation that the story presented to the court as his client’s caution statement had been dictated by a fellow officer, Trevor Reeves. Garnett also denied the allegation that violence was used to obtain a false confession from Orwin Hinds.
On the other hand, Garnett agreed with Thomas when he stated that additions were made to the statement but were never initialed by his client as required.
However, during re-examination by the state attorney, Garnett explained that after reading over the statement to Hinds, the man highlighted that a word was missing and as a result he inserted the missing word. He added that while he had informed Hinds that he was required to initial the correction, he did not recheck the statement for confirmation.
The trial is set to continue today at the High Court in Georgetown, before Justice Singh and the 12-member jury.
