Trio on trial for Campbellville murder ... Court hears statement procured from accused

Trio on trial for Campbellville murder … Court hears statement procured from accused

Jun 14, 2015 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

The caution statement of Ralph Tyndall, the number one accused in the murder of Colleen Forrester has been admitted into evidence before the court.

Anthony De Paul Hope

The statement was read aloud in court on Thursday. According to the evidence provided, Tyndall essentially blamed the murder on his co-accused, Anthony De Paul Hope.
De Paul Hope, called ‘Papa’, 27, of ‘C’ Field Sophia; Tyndall, 28, called Nick of ‘C’ Field, Sophia; and 28-year-old Kevin O’Neil of Seaforth Street, Campbellville, are facing a trial before Justice Roxane George and a mixed jury at the High Court in Georgetown, for the murder, which took place in December 2007.
The 56-year- old woman, was beaten to death and her body dumped in a septic tank. She had disappeared on December 26, 2007. She was last seen at her brother’s house at Lot 55, William Street, Campbellville.
The woman was reported missing after neighbours noticed something was amiss and raised an alarm.
On January 6, 2008, her body was found by police ranks; her ankles were bound and her body wrapped in sheets before it was tossed into the septic tank. Forrester was allegedly strangled and beaten to death with a pestle (mortar stick) by her nephew, (De Paul Hope) and his friends.
Last Wednesday, the dead woman’s granddaughter, Nikita Semple, provided the court with a chilling recollection of what transpired the night her grandmother disappeared.
Semple, who currently resides at Rosalina Straat, Paramaribo Suriname related that she was 12 years old when the incident occurred. She vividly recalled, however, hearing screams, the night her grandmother vanished.
In her evidence yesterday, Semple, recalled on December 26, 2007 she and her grandmother went to Lot 55 William Street, Campbellville after they attended the Main Street Lime. Once there, the witness said that they called for her cousin,”Papa” to open the gate but they received no answer.
Semple said that based on her grandmother’s instructions she jumped over the gate and gained access to the house. Inside, she said that she met “Nick” (Tyndall) who appeared to be asleep at the back bedroom. She said that she knew Nick because he was her cousin’s friend. The witness said that Nick opened his eyes and talked to her; he told her not to tell her grandmother, he was there.
Semple said that she went to look for her cousin, (Papa). She recalled that she met him at the back of the house, near a washroom.
Semple said that she saw when her cousin hid a gun in a mattress. She told him that grandmother was outside and he went to open the gate. The witness recalled that her grandmother was wearing a blue track pants with white stripes to the sides and a white and black shirt. She also noted that that she visited Lot 55 William Street, residence often because her grandmother was the caretaker of the property.
The witness told the court that when grandmother came up the stairs and into the house, she attempted to tell her about the gun but was sent to fetch four buckets of water.
The witness said that she went down the stairs with buckets and the number three accused (O Neil), who was also her cousin’s friend accompanied her. While in the yard, Semple said that she heard screams coming from upstairs. She said that she ran upstairs and tried to gain access to the house, but both the front and back doors were locked.
She said that O Neil then told her that her grandmother and cousin may not want her inside because they must be cleaning the house.
She said that moments later she went upstairs and her cousin sent her to the shop with O Neil.
When they returned, Semple said that her cousin told her that her grandmother was leaving. She said that she ran to the verandah and started yelling frantically for her grandmother but saw no one.
The witness said that she then noticed water on the floor and blood on cousin Papa’s and Nick’s feet. She inquired about the blood and they both told her they got dig on their feet. The witness noted however, that she observed no injuries on the two men only the fresh blood. She said that there was also blood on the floor and on a mattress. The witness said that she left with a mattress and spent the night at Minerva who lived nearby. The next morning she spoke with Papa who told her that her grandmother had left for Trinidad
The witness said she had believed her cousin and hence she had no questions. Semple recalled that it was days later that her father and uncle accompanied her to the Alberttown and Kitty Police Stations where they made a missing person report and gave statements in regard to the incident.