As the loud protests of their wives and girlfriends filled the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrates' Court, 12 men were yesterday committed to stand trial for the murder of Cocorite resident Amiel George. The group, commonly referred to by court and process officers as the "Dirty Dozen", was ordered to be tried at the next sitting of the High Court by Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington.
The accused are Reinaldo Marcano, 30; Raymond Birot, 39; Jirt Serrette, 26; Keston Morris, 21; Gerard Hepburn, 18; Deveon Samuel, 18; Terrence "Trix" David, 28; Keon 'Taliban' Lawrence, 28; Joel "Snake" Roberts, 19; Sherwin 'Black' Alexander, 24; Richard Thomas, 29, and a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named because of his age.
Marcano and Birot live at Chin Chin Road, Cunupia. Both Serrette and Alexander live in San Juan, while the other accused all come from Production Avenue, Sea Lots, Port-of-Spain. As the committal documents were being read individually to each accused, there was a loud outburst from the public gallery of the court, which was packed with the group's friends and relatives.
Female court and process officers were summoned and ushered the unruly group of women out of the courtroom. One of the women shouted obscenities as the committal was being read to her boyfriend. She was detained by police and later released after settling down.
Yesterday's outburst by the family and friends of the accused men was not the first during the preliminary inquiry. At a January 20 hearing, Guard and Emergency police were summoned to the holding cells of the St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain courthouse to quell a disturbance caused by the accused men.
Yesterday's committal came at the end of the two-year preliminary inquiry into George's murder, which occurred on January 18, 2010. George, 24, of Building One, Harding Place, Cocorite, was attacked near his home during a robbery and died of multiple chop wounds.
Several hours after George's murder, the group was arrested by police while they were travelling along Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, in a panel van. Murder charges were later laid by Sgt Gosine of the St James Police Station. The group's legal team included Senior Counsel Israel Khan and attorneys Richard Clarke-Wills, Kirk Hogan and Owen Hinds Jr. Appearing for the State are Dana Seetahal, SC, and prosecutor Kerry-Ann Byer.