Man in court for allegedly assisting cousin with kidnapping

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Derek Achong

A man from Tobago has gone on trial for allegedly assisting his cousin in kidnapping his ex-girlfriend.

Jason Duncan’s virtual judge-alone trial before Justice Hayden St Clair-Douglas kicked off yesterday, with the evidence of the victim Shirl Douglas, of Roxborough, Tobago.

According to Douglas, around 11 pm on December 27, 2008, she, her niece Tatianna Morgan and her friend Shawn Reynolds were walking near her home to attend a party when she was attacked by Duncan’s cousin Lonny Duncan, who she had a relationship with previously.

He allegedly forced her and her niece into the backseat of a car before he and Duncan entered and drove away towards Scarborough.

She claimed that he took her cellphone but gave it back to her when she asked to stop by a cousin to drop something off. She admitted that she made the call but did not raise an alarm.

She claimed that while on the journey she attempted to open the car door to escape but Lonny beat her with a bottle.

She claimed that upon reaching Belle Garden, Duncan stopped the vehicle and she and her niece managed to get out.

Douglas claimed that when Lonny got out to chase after them, Duncan attempted to stop him.

She said that this move gave her and her niece the opportunity to run away and stop a vehicle, which was travelling in the opposite direction.

Douglas and her niece then made their way back to their homes, where they informed relatives and reported the incident to the police.

Duncan and his cousin were jointly charged with kidnapping but Lonny pleaded guilty to the offence and has already been sentenced.

While cross-examining Douglas, Ducan’s lawyer Amerelle Francis noted that her client denies any wrongdoing as he did not know that Douglas and her niece were being held against their will and sought to intervene when his cousin began acting violently.

The trial, which is being prosecuted by Giselle Ferguson-Heller, is expected to resume this morning.