Evidence given on Thursday at the trial of Steven Causewell, who is alleged to have murdered his ex-girlfriend Nordia Mitchell, revealed that the deceased made several phone calls and sent text messages to the accused while staying at her new boyfriend’s home during the days leading up to her death in July 2008.
The 28-year-old cosmetologist was killed at her Oakland apartment in Kingston on July 16. She is said to have died from a blow to her head.
The Home Circuit Court heard from Mitchell’s boyfriend Kevin McCormack, a Kingston haulage contractor, that she had been staying at his home from July 7, and had only retuned to her apartment to collect more clothes when she was killed.
McCormack testified that Mitchell started staying at his house after two incidents involving Causewell, which left her feeling upset, frustrated and in tears.
But yesterday during cross-examination from Causewell’s attorney Oueens Counsel Jacqueline Samuels Brown, McCormack said he was not aware that Mitchell had made a number of calls to Causewell or had called him repeatedly while staying at McCormack’s home.
The haulage contractor also denied knowing about a number of text messages sent by Mitchell to Causewell.
However, McCormack said he was aware that they had conversations and was aware of one text message that Mitchell had sent or had replied to.
Samuels- Brown also enquired from McCormack if he knew that Mitchell had called Causewell several times while he was abroad, during the time that she had been staying with him.
“I was aware that she spoke to him, but you are now making me aware that she made most of the calls,” he replied.
Samuels-Brown tried to question the witness about calls that were made by Mitchell to Causewell on specific days during the time that she spent at McCormack home, but the prosecution objected to her line of questioning, saying that she was trying to put inadmissible evidence before the jury.
Justice Carol Lawrence Beswick also enquired from the lawyer how the witness would have known about the calls.
Samuels Brown in answer said, “ I will come to that,” but never returned to the issue.
During further questioning by Samuels Brown, McCormack said that he was not aware that Mitchell entertained persons at her home late at night.
The prosecution is expected to close its case when the matter resumes on Monday.
Good question. When you have an outstanding lawyer like Jacqueline Samuels Brown, you can stall the trial for years, hoping that the witnesses in the case are either killed or move overseas.
BTW, “Huey Gowdie, who was convicted last month with the death of Shango Jackson, was sentenced to 10 years in prison before the Home Circuit Court Friday morning.” Found guilty of manslaughter, although he killed an unarmed man in cold blood.
http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/businessman-sentenced-to-10-years-for-manslaughter
Flashback:
http://jamaicangroupiemet.com/blog/2012/08/16/murder-vs-killing/