BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – JAHDELL BROWNE of Upper Monkey Hill and Melvina Kelly of Saddlers Village who are both facing separate murder charges pleaded guilty to manslaughter this morning (Feb. 20) at the Basseterre High Court.
Last year it was revealed that after undergoing psychiatric evaluation by Consultancy Psychiatrist Dr. Sharon Halliday, the two individuals who were charged the deaths of three persons were fit to stand trial.
Browne was charged with the Sunday, October 25, 2009 murders of John Napier (75) and Sylvester Harris (37) and also the wounding of Wilfred Simmonds (52).
Originally, he had pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on the murder and wounding charges which the prosecution alleged he brutally chopped the murder victims and the wounded man.
Information reaching this media house stated that Napier was attacked on the premises of his Cedar Grove home, Harris was assaulted while in his garden at Parray’s Housing, Upper Monkey Hill and Simmonds was wounded a short distance from there.
The then Police Press and Public Relations Officer, Inspector Cromwell Henry, confirmed that Napier died at his home and Harris succumbed to his injuries at the Joseph N. France Hospital.
In the case of Kelly, the 53-year-old was charged with the July 11, 2010 murder of her eight-year-old granddaughter, Belisha Edwards.
Kelly was said to have stabbed her granddaughter to death early that morning while the child was holidaying at her Saddlers Village home. Edwards was the daughter of Kelly’s son, Leroy Elliott.
Kelly and Browne are both being represented by Senior Counsels Dr. Henry Browne and Hesketh Benjamin.
Their sentencing will take place sometime during the current assizes on completion of the necessary reports.
