Susan Weeks yesterday testified that her foster brother, Kevin October, could not have shot and killed 72-year-old Clementine Fiedtkou-Parris or have been present at the scene since he was in police custody at the time.
October is jointly-charged with Roy Jacobs and brothers Orwin and Cleon Hinds with murdering Fiedtkou-Parris, on June 30th, 2011, pursuant to an arrangement whereby money was intended to pass from one person to another.
They have all pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The elderly woman was gunned down on the night of June 30, 2011 at her Lot 42 Robb Street, Georgetown home.
In her testimony, Weeks said she can vividly recall taking meals for her brother at the Brickdam Police Station on the morning of June 30th, 2011. She told the court that he had been in custody regarding an unrelated matter.
According to weeks, she received a telephone call from an officer who informed her that her brother was in custody and that she should take meals for him, which she did.
She maintained that her brother had been taken into custody on an unrelated charge and remained in the custody of the police that entire day.
Weeks was called to the stand on behalf of October by his attorney, Moti Singh.
Responding to questions from prosecutor Teshanna James-Lake under cross-examination, the witness said that after becoming aware of the murder, she told investigators that she “knew for a fact” that her foster brother was in police custody on the day of the old woman’s killing.
Asked if she had given a statement to the police to that effect, Weeks told the prosecutor no, but added that she did however discuss it with a police officer whom she identified as “Marks.”
Asked if she testified during the preliminary inquiry, Weeks said she did not, while noting that no one asked her to.
State counsel suggested to Weeks that the only reason she was testifying was to cover for her brother.
Disagreeing with the prosecutor’s suggestion, however, the witness said she took the stand to tell the court that her brother was in the lock-up on the day and time of the murder.
She also disagreed with Lake’s suggestion that she was fabricating her story. “No, I have no reason whatsoever to lie to this court,” Weeks said.
At yesterday’s hearing, attorneys for each accused presented their closing addresses to the jury.
Orwin and Cleon are being represented by attorneys George Thomas and Raymon Ali respectively; while Jacobs is represented by attorney Maxwell McKay.
Each of the accused led his defence in unsworn testimony from the prisoner’s dock in which he professed his innocence.
For their part, the Hinds brothers said that they signed statements prepared by the police, only because they had been badly beaten by the lawmen, were in pain, and afraid. This was the story Jacobs told as well.
October, meanwhile, argued that he was in police custody at the time of this murder.
The trial continues on Monday morning at 9, when the prosecution will present its closing address to the jury.
The case is being heard by Justice Navindra Singh and a 12-member jury at the High Court in Georgetown.
Lawyer fined for late arrival
Meanwhile, Justice Singh held McKay in contempt of court and imposed a fine of $5,000 upon him for his late arrival at court. The trial was scheduled to commence at 9am but McKay did not show-up until 50 minutes later.
In his apology to the court, McKay told the judge that he made a brief stop at the Providence Magistrate’s Court to speak with a client there and thereafter got “caught in traffic” along the East Bank and La Penitence areas.
Justice Singh, however, reprimanded the attorney for his tardiness, while firmly reminding him that the High Court was the superior court and therefore it takes preeminence. “I am not going to be waiting for anyone,” Justice Singh directed, before ordering McKay to pay the fine.
At the commencement of the trial, Moti Singh was also cited for contempt after attending court late as well. He too had said that he stopped-in at a Magistrate’s Court for a brief moment. He was fined $10,000.
