Magistrate orders psychiatric evaluation for defendant

An Arnos woman who is alleged to have smashed the show window at Fragrances Boutique and stolen a quantity of items, will undergo mental assessment.

This order was handed down by magistrate of the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court Carla James, following a recommendation from the court’s prosecutor Sergeant Elgin Richards.{{more}}

Holly-Ann Alexander was charged with damage to property and theft, to which she pleaded not guilty.

On Tuesday, at the court, police constable Joshua Robinson testified that on May 8, at about 12:20 a.m, his team of Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officers responded to a report that the alarm at the business place was sounding off.

On arrival at Fragrances, Robinson said he saw the glass of the show window broken and proceed to climb through the opening to gain entrance into the store.

He told the court that when he got inside, he encountered Alexander seated on a bench and questioned her as to why she was there and why she broke the glass.

“She told me that she saw something that she like,” he recalled.

According to Robinson, Alexander was met with a pair of earrings in her ears, wearing a Dashiki dress, a necklace around her neck and a pair of sunglasses on top of her head.

Alexander was subsequently taken to the CID, where the virtual complainant came and identified the items as belonging to the store.

Alexander, who represented herself in the matter, under cross-examination, repeatedly asked the police officer what was he doing in the police vehicle at that hour.

She also asked other questions of the officer that had no connection with the case.

It was then the prosecutor stepped in and stated that he was convinced that Alexander should be sent for observation with mental health officials.

The magistrate then ordered that Alexander see a doctor on May 28 for determination to be made on her mental health and her capacity to stand trial.

The matter was then discontinued and adjourned to June 2.(KW)