Tricia Flemming...freed

Justice Herbert Volney was so infuriated with two ‘not guilty’ verdicts in a murder case yesterday, that he immediately banned the 12-member jury from sitting for the next 15 years. Volney, presiding in the Port-of-Spain First Criminal Court, said he disagreed with the verdicts of the jury. “This is a travesty of justice,” Volney said. He then made an order that the names of the 12 jurors be struck off from the rolls of the jury list for the next 15 years. The jurors sat in their chairs and looked at the judge, two of them breaking out in a smile when they heard that they would not have to sit for the next 15 years. The jury retired to consider their verdict just after midday.

But after the mandatory three hours in the jury room, the panel was never brought back to court as is the norm. They were kept in the jury room for four hours and 20 minutes before the foreman indicated to the marshall on duty that they were ready with an unanimous verdict. Tricia Flemming, 23, of St Joseph Street, Foster Road, Sangre Grande, and Sheldon Mohammed, 25, of Bonzai Circular, Durante Gardens, were freed of the murder of Richard ‘Sunil’ Sooden, 20, of Greenidge Street, Sangre Grande. State attorney Tricia Hudlin-Cooper prosecuted. Michelle Solomon represented Mohammed, while Ulric Skerritt appeared for Flemming.

According to the State’s case, around 5.30 pm on September 1, 2005, Flemming and Mohammed went to the home of Soodeen’s parents, Juliet and Ashook Lall, and asked to speak with him. Juliet Lall said she had known Flemming since she was a child. “Tricia told my husband and I that Sunil was telling lies, so she smashed his windscreen. Sunil was washing his van at the time. I called him to hear what Tricia was saying. “In Tricia’s presence, Sunil told us that she had placed a knife to his neck, and asked him for $100.” He said he told her he did not have that kind of money. He said after he refused to give her the cash, she busted his windscreen.