Point Fortin man freed of stepfather’s 2007 murder

News Jada Loutoo 3 Hrs Ago

Trevor Huggings, centre, with his attorneys Michelle Ali and Shuzvon Ramdass of the Public Defenders'Department on November 3. -

After 19 years on remand, a Point Fortin man has been acquitted of his stepfather’s murder in 2007 by a jury at the High Court in Port of Spain.

Trevor Huggins was set free on November 3.

Huggins had been charged with killing Brian O’Shaughnessy in January 2007 at their Point Fortin home.

During the trial before Justice Maria Busby Earle-Caddle, which began October 1, jurors heard testimony from Huggins’ sister, who said she discovered O’Shaughnessy bleeding from the neck after hearing him shout from the kitchen.

She told police that her brother “was not right in his head” and recalled seeing him run from the house. When police later confronted Huggins, he reportedly said, “God tell me do it.” A knife was recovered near the body.

A post-mortem found O’Shaughnessy died from stab wounds to the neck and chest. A psychiatrist testified that Huggins had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was experiencing a relapse at the time of the killing.

Justice Busby Earle-Caddle instructed jurors they could consider a manslaughter verdict if they believed Huggins acted under a mental disorder. The jury instead found him not guilty of both murder and manslaughter.

Huggins was represented by Michelle Ali and Shuzvon Ramdass of the Public Defenders’ Department. The prosecution team included Veonna Neale-Monroe and Shanelle Kissoon from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.