Police murder trial commences

One of the most highly anticipated cases of the Criminal Assizes got underway on Wednesday June 4, 2008 at the High Court in Kingstown.{{more}}

Accused murderer Police Constable Ericsson Harris is having his day in court after being charged with the double murders of Vonley Llewellyn of New Montrose and Jennine Gill of Villa Fountain road on December 15, 2005. The couple’s charred bodies were found on a bed in Gill’s Villa-Fountain two bedroom burnt-out house.

Neatly attired in a crisp pair of black trousers, a baby blue shirt, a navy blue tie and a fresh haircut, Harris walked slowly to the defendant’s box to start his trial.

The first day saw a total of eight witnesses being called to the stand to give evidence including Gill’s sister Prudence Gill. Gill said that on December 12, she, her daughter, Jenine and Harris went shopping in Kingstown. She said that Harris bought clothes for her, a dress for her daughter because it was her birthday and also purchased items for Lucy (Jenine), the name by which Prudence often referred to Jenine while giving her evidence. Gill told the court that after shopping, Harris took them to the Kenmars Mall to have lunch. It was also revealed that Harris had a lot of money that day and while going home in the car, Gill said Harris showed her a large wad of cash and said that he wanted to purchase a jeep.

Gill said they had telephoned Jenine’s ex boyfriend to give them a ride home, which he did. The following day, she said that Jenine, Jenine’s ex-boyfriend and herself went to the Sky Blue Apartments to “hang out.”

As she recalled the chilling reality of what happened to her sister on December 15th, rivers of tears started flowing. The Queen’s Drive resident recalled seeing smoke coming from the area where Jenine lived. It was not until she received a telephone call that she rushed to Jenine’s home, only to find the house in a blazing inferno. Gill said that when the fire was put out, she was able to identify the charred nude body of a female lying on her back on a bed, as that of her sister.

Dr Franklyn James, who performed the post mortem on Llewellyn on December 16, 2005, said that Llewellyn died from a severe head injury and multiple burns.

Surgical Pathologist Ronald Child stated that Gill died as a result of 12 stabs wounds to the neck area, blunt trauma to the head and thermal injuries.

The matter however had to be cut short for the day when it was learnt that the two stenographers had to attend another function. Justice Gertel Thom granted the adjournment to the following day because she said that she wanted every thing in the matter documented. (KW)