Case of the stolen jewellery
Ex-girlfriend testified receiving pieces of jewelry as birthday gift
By Pauline Waruguru
Nevis Reporter-SKNVibes.com
~~Adz:Right~~ CHARLESTOWN, Nevis - PARADISE ESTATE resident Idona Browne, Manager of Foundation for National Development, yesterday testified in a case where Wilson Jones and Leo Roland Herbert are accused of stealing jewellery worth EC$30 000 from her home.
While Jones is represented by Chesley Hamilton, Herbert is unrepresented and the prosecution team is led by Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Paulina Hendrickson.
According to the prosecutor, the jewellery allegedly stolen are four gold pendants valued at EC$1 100, seven pairs of gold bracelets valued at EC$6 100, seven gold rings valued at EC$2 000, 14 pairs of gold earrings valued at EC$6 300, 18 gold chains valued at EC$8 300, seven silver chains valued at EC4 400, two silver pendants valued at EC1 000, three pairs of silver earrings valued at EC$700, two silver rings valued at EC$300 and four silver bracelets valued at EC$1 600.
Browne told Resident Judge Ianthea Leigertwood-Octave that on September 19, 2007 at 7:00 p.m., after closing all her windows and doors, she had left her home to attend a function at the Oualie Beach Resort. She explained that there are four outer doors and 27 windows.
Browne said that no one was at her residence when she left, but when she returned at 10:00 p.m. and unlocked one of the outer doors, she saw two shoe prints on the floor that were not there when she had left the premises. She said that she tracked the shoe prints to both the eastern and western bedrooms of the house.
Browne testified that she found a photograph of her daughter on the floor, which had been in her purse for the past 12 years, and on going out of the house she noticed that a window on the Eastern side was broken with a broken chair under it. Following these discoveries, Browne said she called the police.
She also told the court that the screens of the broken window were muddy and blood stained. Browne explained that in continuance of her search, she discovered that EC$200 was missing from one of her purses and also US$30 from another purse on a dressing window, as well as EC$200 in coins from a bag. She stated that £20 was also missing from a certain area in her house.
Additionally, Browne told the court that she normally keeps jewellery in different boxes and, on the night in question, she discovered that her jewel box and also that of her daughter were missing along with a bottle of men’s perfume.
According to evidence given by prosecution witness Denise Kelly, she was present when Jones had visited his ex-girlfriend, Aureila Lawrence, at her Cayon apartment on a particular day and gave her some jewellery for her birthday.
Kelly, who is a Hair Dresser by trade and a friend of Lawrence, said that while she was in her friend’s apartment, “Hawk [Jones] came in and showed Aureila a jewel box. He opened it and put it on the dressing table and I asked Aureila if I could have a piece of the content. She said no and I got really upset because she did not want to share with me.”
The witness broke into tears as she narrated the incident.
She said that she had given Lawrence jewellery as gifts in the past and “I was really upset. Hawk asked, ‘What is that she wants?’ and went into his pocket and took out two bracelets”. Kelly said that Jones gave her the bracelets but Lawrence took them away and exchanged them for other jewellery items.
Kelly told the court that Lawrence had asked Jones from where he got the jewellery, to which she said he replied, “From gambling and some from my girlfriend.” She also told the court that in response, Lawrence said, “I have a daughter to take care of...I hope this will not get me into any trouble?”
Kelly admitted to the court that she had given away some of the jewellery she received in Lawrence’s apartment but retrieved them after Police Officer Donaly Liburd-Chiverton contacted her at her work place. She added that the jewellery was handed over to Liburd-Chiverton.
Taking the stand, Lawrence corroborated Kelly’s account of the incident. She admitted that Jones had visited her apartment and gave her some jewellery for her birthday, which falls on November 3. She also identified the pieces of jewellery presented in the High Court as exhibits as the ones she had received from her ex-boyfriend.
