What has been described as unreliable testimonies led to the acquittal of the police officer charged with last November’s killing of St Barb's resident…Sheldon De Vignes
Yesterday Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicholls freed Police constable, Anthony Sylvester, after listening to the testimony of 2 of the 3 eyewitnesses in the case.
In delivering his ruling, Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls said the court could not rely on the testimony of Des Vignes's two cousins, Natasha Jessop and Gail-Ann Des Vignes. Defence attorney Israel Khan, SC, in his no case submission yesterday, told the court Jessop's testimony was conflicting… as she gave two different versions of the same event… while claiming that both of them were true.
The case was further weakened when Gail-Ann Des Vignes took the stand… and gave a similar account of the incident…
However she made reference to a statement she gave to the police a week after the incident… in which she stated that after the killing… Sylvester said he had killed and would kill again.
After heavy cross-examination by Khan, Des Vignes insisted that her evidence in court as well as her statement to the police …were both true.
Later on… she admitted one was false… but did not specify which one.
It was due to the unreliability and inconsistencies of these two eyewitnesses did McNicolls agreed a prima facie case had not been made out against Sylvester …and… as a result… freed him.
Yesterday evening… however… the Des Vignes family expressed their utter dissatisfaction at the way the matter ended.
The family said they now plan to appeal the decision after they seek legal advice.
The family also said they plan to protest the decision.