Victoria, St Mark resident, Mitch Phillip has been committed to stand trial for Non-Capital Murder in connection with the May 30, 2020 death of his common-law wife, Shenelle Alexis, 23, after his Preliminary Inquiry (PI) before Magistrate Francine Foster at the Victoria Magistrate’s Court ended on Thursday.
The joiner by profession was 49 years old when police charged him for the death of the young mother of two (2), based on information contained in a 7-page report done by top Trinidad & Tobago forensic scientist, Professor Hubert Daisley who found that she did not die from natural causes but in suspicious circumstances.
A first autopsy done by Pathologists at the St. George’s General Hospital did not reach a conclusive determination on the cause of the death of the young lady.
The State turned to Professor Daisley whose findings indicated that Shenelle died from excessive bleeding due to a botched medical operation.
The forensic expert noted that some form of rigid instrument was pushed up into the vagina of the deceased who was about 12-15 weeks pregnant at the time of her death.
The report also found that there was also evidence of force being used to subdue the deceased before her death based on impressions seen on her legs and thighs.
Thursday’s hearing revealed that the deceased died sometime after being taken to the General Hospital by Phillip, during the early morning hours of May 30, 2020.
Attorney George Prime, who provided counsel for the suspect, made a no-case submission to the court during Thursday’s hearing, describing the “circumstantial evidence” presented to the court by the witnesses for the Prosecution, as being “tenious and questionable.”
He insisted that “there is no case to answer,” citing several points of law to support his perception that the evidence presented by the witnesses for the State was “consistent with innocence.”
Attorney Prime expressed the view that a jury would not be able to convict his client based on the evidence that is currently before the court.
However, the State Prosecutor maintained his position, reminding the court that its job in the PI, is not to determine guilt or innocence but whether the evidence suffices for Phillip to stand trial at the High Court.
After listening to the deliberations from both sides, Magistrate Foster agreed with the Prosecution that although the evidence in the case is circumstantial, Phillip is answerable to the murder charge and turned down Attorney Prime’s submission.
The Magistrate committed Phillip to stand trial at the next session of the High Court.