BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FORMER Nevis and Leeward Islands cricketer Warrington Phillip (42) will next week appeal the jury’s decision of a guilty verdict in the killing of his wife at the 2011 sitting of the Court of Appeal.
Phillip was found guilty of killing Shermel Phillip (27), his wife of four years, by a six-male/six-female jury after a two-hour deliberation and sentenced to life imprisonment by her Ladyship Justice Ianthea Leigertwood-Octave on Monday, December 22, 2008.
He was arrested and charged on Tuesday, February 20, 2007 with the murder of Shermel, whose body was discovered by neighbours in her car with multiple injuries at her Brown Hill residence on Friday, February 16, 2007.
Some 26 witnesses were said to have testified in the case on behalf of the prosecution which was led by Barbadian Attorney-at-Law Sir Richard Cheltenham, QC, while Phillip was represented by Dr. Henry Browne.
Before her death, Shermel was the Assistant Manager at the Four Seasons Resort for Conference Room and Services and, according to sources, was scheduled to attend a farewell dinner at the Resort on that fatal night.
According to reports, she did not show up at the dinner and a telephone call was made to her next door neighbour, a retired Senior Police Officer, who on entering her premises found the young woman in her car with visible wounds to her neck and wrists and appeared to be dead.
Gruesome details given by some residents noted that, upon examination, the wounds to her neck seemed as if they were inflicted with a dull instrument and the attacker may have sawed at her throat.
Barbadian Forensic Pathologist Dr. Stephen Jones performed an autopsy on the remains of Shermel and reported that death was due to hemorrhage and shock caused by stab wounds to the neck.
Shermel was the daughter of former Culturama Calypso King Keith ‘Dis N Dat’ Scarborough, who will be contesting against Premier Joseph Parry in the upcoming local election in Nevis. Her death was the first murder recorded in Nevis for 2007 and the second within the Federation.
Several members of the community were outraged at her violent death, including Leader of the Opposition Mark Brantley who described the act as “unimaginable”.
Phillip, who is from Jessups Village, Nevis, was said to be an outstanding left-arm spinner who played 43 first-class matches for Leeward Islands between 1990 and 1999, taking 148 wickets at 25.52 apiece.
He was also instrumental in the Stanford 20/20 cricket held in 2006 where he helped Nevis to reach the Semi-Final stage.
The five-day sitting of the Court of Appeal of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court for 2011 will begin on Monday (Mar. 14) and a number of criminal and civil matters are scheduled for hearing.
Phillip’s appeal is one of five cases seeking to appeal against convictions.
Some of the other persons who will be appealing their convictions are: Ricky Ferlance, who was convicted for unlawful carnal knowledge; Dean Boddie, who was convicted for house breaking and larceny; Philmore Matthew, convicted for indecent assault; and Harsha Elliott and Chad Elliott, who were convicted for robbery.
