BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - AFTER a four week -long trial, the jury in the case of Donley Saunders found him guilty of fraudulent conversion for ‘ripping off’ American couple Thorton Tayloe Perry and Suzan Perry of an extremely large sum of money.
The trial began on Monday (Mar. 5) with the prosecution team being lead by Crown Counsel Rhonda Nisbett-Browne, while the defence team comprises Attorneys-at-Law Vincent Byron and Terry Byron.
Eight witnesses testified on the prosecution’s behalf as they were successful in proving that during the period of June 2007 to May 2008, Saunders used monies entrusted to him by the Perrys to be applied to the construction of two dwelling houses at Turtle Beach for other purposes.
The St. Peters resident is said to have fraudulently converted EC$273 512.50 of the EC$403 230 of the Perrys’ money that was entrusted to him for his own benefit.
Seven witnesses also testified on behalf of the defence as well as Saunders who took the stand in an effort to prove his innocence.
The defence team tried to prove that all monies delegated to Saunders by the Perrys could have been accounted for, as Saunders encountered numerous difficulties that caused extra expenses during the time he was overseeing the construction of the homes.
The nine women, three men jury went into deliberation last Thursday (Apr. 5) and came back with an 11-1 guilty verdict.
Saunders is expected to be sentenced sometime during the May 2012 Criminal Assizes.
