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Gailene Farrell, left, and Calvert Charles. (iWN file photo)
Gailene Farrell, left, and Calvert Charles. (iWN file photo)
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The parents of former model Yugge Farrell were, on Wednesday, discharged on attempted murder and arson charges.

Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias made the decision after being informed by the prosecution that police officers are unable to locate the DVDs on which the electronic interviews with the accused were burnt.

Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delplesche told the court that that was the information that had just been relayed to him by one of the court orderlies.

“Ok. I am discharging these matters,” the chief magistrate responded.

Gailene Farrell and her common-law husband, Calvert Charles, have been waiting since last year for the commencement of a preliminary inquiry.

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They are charged with the Nov. 1, 2017 attempted murder of fellow Lowmans Bay resident, Edward Durrant.

The couple is also charged with arson in connection with a fire at the man’s home on the same day.

The Crown alleged that the couple lit the man’s house on fire and chopped him as he attempted to escape.

Edward Durrant
The virtual complainant, Edward Durrant. (iWN photo)

The matter had been adjourned several times and the court was upon the timeline set out by higher courts by which such hearings should commence.

In May, Farrell told iWitness News that she was “frustrated” by the court system.

“I am frustrated by it and why I know I am frustrated is because ah know ah innocent,” Gailene told iWitness News outside the Serious Offences Court on May 30, after another adjournment in the matter.

During that hearing, June 11 was set as the date for a paper committal.

A paper committal is a proceeding in which the magistrate reads the witnesses’ written statements and decides on that reading whether there is enough evidence to send the case to trial before a judge and jury at the high court.

Paper committals are less time consuming than preliminary inquiries, in which each witness comes and testifies verbally.

In keeping with the indictable nature of the charge, Farrell and Charles were not allowed to plead.

Gailene denied that she or Charles were guilty of the crimes for which they have been accused.

“A 53-year-old woman like me? This man (virtual complainant) is a man is me brethren [who] does dey close to me. The only thing me and this man never do is have sex and kiss and hug up…

“The man is me brethren,” she said, adding that they are falsely accused.

She was also not impressed with the work of the investigator, Detective Corporal Philbert Chambers.

“I want them get to the matter. Me does watch CSI Miami and me does watch the Closer and me does watch the Mentalist. Corporal Chambers need to watch them picture dey,” Farrell said.

On one occasion, in February, Delplesche had asked for an adjournment, telling the court that he was yet to receive the file from the investigator.

Wednesday’s development that resulted in the accused couple being discharged is not only an embarrassment for the police, but could put the government in an uncomfortable position, politically.

Yugge Farrell 2 2
Yugge Farrell, right, is escorted from the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court by plainclothes and uniformed police officers in February. (iWN image)

Yugge Farrell is said to have demanded in a “blackmail” letter she reportedly delivered to Karen Duncan-Gonsalves, wife of Finance Minister Camillo Gonsalves on Jan. 5, that the charges against her parents be dropped.

Yugge, 22, who has been diagnosed with a mental health condition and who is said to have had mental health issues before she allegedly delivered the letter, has claimed that the finance minister was in an extra-marital relationship with her.

Yugge Farrell came to national attention on Jan. 5 when she appeared in court to answer a charge that the previous day she used abusive language to Duncan-Gonsalves.

She went on to spend three weeks in a psychiatric hospital after the court granted an application by the prosecution, given in the absence of any supporting evidence that she warranted being sent for psychiatric evaluation.

The model has since claimed that the finance minister cheated on his wife with her during a years-long relationship that ended in 2016.

She has been granted EC$1,000 bail and is scheduled to return to court on Dec. 17, 2018.

17 replies on “Yugge’s parents freed after police misplace evidence”

  1. You have to wonder about our police. In spite of the majority being great people, there is so much corruption. In this case, is it thier corruption or thier incompetence? The parents of Yugge seem to be confident that they are innocent. Nor did we see any evidence that a letter from Yugge exists. If it does, why was it not presented in the preliminary hearing, instead of Yugge being sent to an institution based on ZERO evidence?
    My guess is that there is a letter but the dynasty, DREGs and all do not want the people to know what is in that letter because there is too much truth, that we will know what they are about. At the real trial we will either hear little mention of the letter or hear only parts or it…those parts that will harm Yugge.

    SVG is becoming known for mismanagement, corruption (not only in the executive branch, such as the police and our PM) but also the courts, (as in the pre-trial of Yugge), incompetence, crime, bad economics,etc… When are we finally going to get integrity leadership to help us change course?
    At least we have some good judges such as Rick Burnett and Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias, so we are not totally lost.

    1. Elma Gabriel says:

      I reiterate your views Lostpet: >>>>> “When are we finally going to get integrity leadership to help us change course?
      At least we have some good judges such as Rick Burnett and Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias, so we are not totally lost.”

    2. C. Ben-David says:

      Thanks to our fake “education revolution,” incompetence trumps corruption by 20:1 in our backward little nation.

    3. Love the last part of your comment. This case has brought international attention to SVG. Just Google, Yugge Farrell. This is stuff that can bring down a Government. Last, when, Dr. Friday asked the FM, Mr. Gonssalves son, Camillo, the prime minister’s son, to explain himself to the people or resign, he was quite right. The FM did nothing, yet the woman was held in custody and thrown into a mental institution and given drugs, pending an investigation. Many people wanted to ridicule Friday. Look now, who in SVG is even paying attention to this? While the PM […] even mak[ed] some very very very inappropriate remarks in the media, about what he thinks about ms. Farrell. How is this possible, that a young woman’s life could be so easily destroyed by the whims of the corrupt political Elite right in front of everyone? No accountability and then business as usual. Come on people. Sorry about the trouble that Yugge’s family is going through right now. I wish them the best.

  2. Annis Creese says:

    The DVDs with witnesses’ statements disappeared! Can you imagine that? So where the case if there is no evidence, Magistrate correct to discharge the matter. Wasting time!

  3. Rawlston Pompey says:

    What’s Happening Here?

    It is to be clearly understood that an Interview is neither a ‘…Confession
    nor an Admission.’

    Invariably, investigators conducting interviews would have posed certain
    questions to elicit information pertinent to the incident under investigation.

    Answers might be ‘…positive or incriminating’ or …negative and non-incriminatory.’
    The latter is useful to show (a) …contradictions; or (b) …inconsistency.’

    It is obvious from this news report that the accused persons had denied any
    involvement in (i) …Attempt to murder the Virtual Complainant (VC); and
    (ii) …committed the crime of Arson.’

    The investigator would have been aware of such denials.

    Without eye-witnesses accounts or ‘…strong circumstantial evidence,’ without
    more, it begs the question, ‘…What informed the decision to arrest and charge
    the accused persons?’

    Then adding insult to injury, the ‘…technologically (DVD) recorded interviews’
    could not be presented at the ‘….Committal Proceedings.’

    Such speaks to ‘…gross negligence; …professional inefficiency and incompetence.’

    In other jurisdictions, whether by the ‘…investigator or custodian of Police exhibits,’
    someone would have been disciplined.

  4. Agustus Carr says:

    Tape recorded interviews are usually done in triplicate. One for the witness, one for the prosecution and one for the courts, which is usually lodge with the evidence costodian. These officers should be descipline for neglect of duty. This is foul play……May be the Officers we’re given directive to…The truth will come out one day.

    All the magistrate/Judge had to do was to ask for the copies.

  5. on a more delightful note .

    I want them get to the matter. Me does watch CSI Miami and me does watch the Closer and me does watch the Mentalist. Corporal Chambers need to watch them picture dey,” Farrell said.

    lol……

  6. Mr Police Commisioner you need an evidence room at headquarters, with a seal like a vault, and tight security, where evidence is stored and accounted for, signed out, signed in, with cameras and a Superintendant and Inspector in charge. This will avoid the the pathetic excuse about things in the police-care “missing”, because once committed to a place through the right procedures and channels it can’t be missed!!!

    1. C. ben-David says:

      If “they” were only so clever. To me, incompetence is far more dangerous than conspiracy because you can always uncover a conspiracy but could never reverse incompetence.

  7. Rawlston Pompey says:

    UNFOLDING TRAVESTY

    This news portal had reported on the ‘…Yuggee Farrell’s Saga’ of
    (i) ‘…Seemingly more than a flirtatious relationship with a Government Minister;
    (ii) … [alleged] Delivery of a letter to his wife; (iii) …Allegedly verbally abusing her;
    (iv) …Detained and subsequently arrested and charged by the Police;
    and (v) …criminally prosecuted for Abusive language’ [IWN: January 5, 2018]..

    There were the dramatic Court Room developments that prompted the
    immediate intervention of attorney Grant Connell. He may have seen the
    ‘…Unfolding of Travesty,’ and rendered pro bono legal service to the
    undefended defendant.

    Website visitors read that …without medical referrals, Police
    prosecuting officer Corleen Samuel, applied to then presiding
    Magistrate Bertie Pompey, who ordered her confinement for
    ‘…two weeks to the Glenn Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation [IWN].

    At the time of her appearance, it was reported that there was
    ‘…no psychiatric diagnosis.’ This had provoked public outrage
    and widespread media coverage

    Readers believed the developments were ‘…professionally and
    correctly reported.’ Accepting the news report, these represents
    the ‘…undisputed and undiluted facts.’

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