News

'Top-class' shoes found in accused's home

By BARBARA GAYLE, Staff Reporter

LAUGHTER ERUPTED IN court yesterday when Detective Inspector Winston Lawrence said when he visited the home of 31-year-old Janet Douglas, of 37 Ziadie Avenue, Ziadie Gardens, St. Andrew, he saw eleven pairs of top-class men shoes which Douglas said belonged to Detective Corporal Glen McGill who was her lover.

When Inspector Lawrence was asked what he meant by 'top-class' he quickly explained. "Top class, fine leather, properly referred to as gentleman shoes". He said the top-class men shoes were stacked away neatly on the floor to one end of a bedroom.

Last week, Detective McGill testified that he had a love affair with Douglas and said she bought him expensive clothes and jewellery and treated him "excellently."

Douglas has been on trial in the Home Circuit Court since last week Wednesday for the murder of 32-year-old Isolyn Gibson-McGill who was the wife to Detective McGill. Mrs. McGill, a dressmaker, of Corn Piece District, Hayes, Clarendon was stabbed 19 times on the night of June 24, 2000. The body was found along the Hilly Field Road, off the Bustamante Highway, Clarendon.

Paula Llewellyn, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions and Chester Crooks, Crown Counsel are leading evidence in the Home Circuit Court that Douglas befriended Mrs. McGill because she had a plan to murder her.

Question and answer

Inspector Lawrence said that sometime after 9 p.m. on November 24, 2000 he saw Douglas at the May Pen Police Station and spoke with her. He said he had a question and answer session with Douglas on November 28, 2000 at the Four Paths Police Station in Clarendon. He said he asked her 48 questions, but she said she did not wish to answer them at that time.

Cross-examined by attorneys-at-law Ravil Golding and Tashia McDonald, who are representing Douglas, Inspector Lawrence said that it was her legal right not to answer the questions.

Inspector Lawrence said that on November 29, 2000 he and a police party went with Douglas and Detective McGill to Douglas' home at Ziadie Gardens where a search was conducted. He said in one of the closets in the two-bedroom house, which Douglas occupied, he saw 32 men's shirt and they were all dress shirts.

Most of them appeared to be new and had never been worn. He said he saw 19 pairs of trousers, which also appeared new, and 13 neckties which looked 'classic' He also saw 11 pairs of shoes and Dougals said the clothes and shoes belonged to Detective McGill and he confirmed it. McGill said Douglas gave them to him but he left them behind when he walked out of the relationship.

Karen Williamson, a cashier who was formerly employed to Super Plus Food Store in May Pen, identified a bottle of body lotion and a tin of hair mousse which had on the Super Plus price tags. She also identified the receipts and journal in relation to the items which she said were made between 6.30 p.m. and 6.36 p.m. on November 24, 2000. The receipts in respect to the items were found on the body of the deceased.

The trial continues today before Mr. Justice Basil Reid and the 12 member jury