BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – INSPECTOR Franklin Belgrove of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force said that about 3:15 a.m. on October 29, 2011 they pursued a lead and found Gilda Vaughan, who was kidnapped, at a house on East Park Range with bruises.
Belgrove said this during his testimony today (Feb. 4) as one of the prosecution’s witnesses in building a case against Jahmana Walters, Ali Percival, Clayton Laws and Jermaine Riley, who were charged with the kidnapping of Larry and Gilda Vaughan on October 28, 2011.
The prosecution is also seeking to prove that Gilda was confined in an unoccupied house against her will on East Park Range.
Belgrove said that some policemen and soldiers entered the house and met two of the accused, Ali Percival and Jermaine Riley, in the living room.
The Inspector said the accused men were saying, “The woman in there, woman in there, we ain’t do her anything,” and pointed to a bedroom.
Belgrove said they went to the bedroom and saw Gilda on a bed and that she seemed terrified, shaken and there was a bruise on her cheek.
The witness said she was taken from the house to a private vehicle, where she was then driven to the hospital.
Belgrove told the Court that he returned to the house, cautioned the accused men and asked them what else they had in the house they had used in the kidnapping of Vaughan.
He noted that in response, the men pointed to a western bedroom and said, “Look in there, everything in there.”
Belgrove recalled the items found were a machine gun, guns, knife and clothing.
He then told the men that he was arresting them on suspicion of “kidnapping Mrs. Vaughan”.
Belgrove said the men claimed that they did not do her anything and that she was just held there.
When His Lordship Justice Errol Thomas asked the accused men, Walters and Percival, if they would like to cross examine the witness, they both declined.
However, Laws and Riley (the number three and four accused, respectively) chose to cross examine Inspector Belgrove.
Laws asked Belgrove what colour clothing he was wearing, and the witness said he was in plain clothes and could not remember. Belgrove also said that he did not remember what colour clothing Gilda was wearing when asked by the said accused.
Laws also asked about the lighting in the house and Belgrove’s response was that a light was switched on before Gilda had left the building.
Laws then said to him that during Gilda’s testimony she stated that she was unable to see the accused men face before it was dark and the police used a search light but Belgrove maintained that a light was switched on.
While being cross examined, Belgrove told the Court that Riley had blood on his person and Percival complained of pain, and both of them were taken to the hospital.
The next witness called was Police Officer Damian Challenger of the Crime Scene Unit.
He told the Court that he went to the Vaughans’ home on October 28, 2011 and dusted for fingerprints, but no useful ones were found.
He then said that about 5:15 a.m. on the following day he received a call and went to the hospital where he met Gilda Vaughan.
Challenger said that she had what appeared to be a blood clot in one of her eyes, scratches on both of her wrists and cheek and appeared to be nervous.
Challenger said he took pictures of her condition as he saw them.
Two camouflage vests were found at the house on East Park Range and, according to the police, they are used by the military and for tactical purposes and are not sold locally, or are they committed to be worn by civilians in accordance to the law.
Police Officer Julius Wyatt, who was a member of the Criminal Investigation Department at the time of the incident, told the Court that on November 4, 2011 he was present when Percival was questioned by police and was told they were making inquiries into a report where it was alleged he kidnapped Larry Vaughan and his wife.
Wyatt said that Percival responded that he “got a job from a man who does come from St. Maarten to guard a house at East Park Range”.
Wyatt said Percival however did not reveal the name of the man.
The case continues tomorrow (Feb. 5) and the prosecution is predicting that it would end on the following day.
