The Non-Capital murder case brought against Victoria, St. Mark resident Mitch Phillip in connection with the May 30, 2020 death of his 23-year-old common-law wife Shenelle Alexis is scheduled to commence before Madam Justice Paula Gilford at the St. George’s No. 1 High Court on November 7.
The matter finally gets underway approximately one (1) year after 51-year old Phillip was committed to stand trial in the High Court for Non-Capital Murder at the end of his Preliminary Inquiry (PI) before Magistrate Francine Foster at the Victoria Magistrate’s Court in November 2021.
The joiner by profession, who resides at Queen’s Street in Victoria, St. Mark, was 49 years old when he was charged in June 2020 as the main suspect in connection with 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.
It took officials approximately three (3) weeks to determine the actual cause of Shenelle’s death.
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, and 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 private part 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.
Shenelle reportedly died shortly after being taken to the General Hospital by the murder accused during the early morning hours of May 30, 2020.
The Prosecution team led by Senior Crown Counsel Howard Pinnock will call some 11 witnesses to provide evidence of circumstance in the matter before the court.
Phillip, who faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if convicted on the Non-Capital Murder charge, is currently on bail and has since retained new counsel in American-trained Attorney Jerry Edwin for his defense in the trial, which comes two (2) years, and six (6) months after Shenelle’s death.
