By Jada Loutoo
A Chaguanas man who allegedly admitted to playing a role in the murder of a state witness in 2003 was yesterday acquitted of the charge, after a Port-of-Spain judge ruled that his alleged confessions could not be used as evidence at his trial.
Dennis Nebblett, 46, of Nebblett Street, Enterprise, Chaguanas, was yesterday freed of the August 22, 2003 murder of Kevin Richards, a state-witness against Chaguanas businessman Selwyn “Robocop” Alexis, who was charged with kidnapping auto parts dealer Saran Kissoondan.
Richards’ nude, mutilated body was found wrapped in plastic in a pond off Depot Road, Longdenville, Chaguanas. Two weeks before his death, Richards had left a safe house and was killed before he could complete his evidence against Alexis.
As a result of his death, the State withdrew its case against Alexis, who was subsequently discharged.
Nebblett, who was charged with Richards’ murder, allegedly admitted to drawing him out of his safe house.
“I kill that man. I bring him out to kill him,” he allegedly told police during one of four interviews while in custody.
Nebblett also allegedly said he and “Robo” were “real tight” and spoke of a conversation with a woman named Bernadette, who allegedly told him she had “Bob” and the men standing by “to deal with the man.”
He allegedly said that on the day he was to meet Richards, also known as “Shoe,” by the Unit Trust building in Chaguanas, he saw “Bob” in a silver B14 car with some other men. He allegedly said he saw Richards struggling with the men in the B14 and that the plan was to kill and throw the body in the sea.
Nebblett was charged with murder on September 1, 2003, and went on trial before Justice
Alice Yorke-Soo Hon in the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court.
No evidence was taken at the trial, since both the defence and prosecution agreed to a voire dire (trial within a trial) to determine if the alleged oral admissions by Nebblett were admissible.
But while Soo Hon agreed that the accused made the oral admissions, she found that the judges’ rules were breached by police during the third and fourth interviews.
Soo Hon said the police should have warned the witness that he was likely to be prosecuted after the third interview, since he could have incriminated himself.
As a result of her ruling, prosecutors Nalini Singh and Tricia Hudlin withdrew their case against Nebblett and the jury was directed to return a not-guilty verdict in favour of the accused.
Israel Khan represented Nebblett.
http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2005-11-30/news10.html©2004-2005 Trinidad Publishing Company Limited