MARCELINE Basdeo Small, the wife of murder accused Jarvis Small, who was slapped with the charge of smuggling a prohibited item into the Camp Street penitentiary in January this year, yesterday returned to court for the commencement of the trial into the matter.
The case is being heard before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton and one witness, Ms. Paula Grahame, Principal Officer One attached to the Georgetown Prison was called as the first witness to testify against Small.
The case was adjourned to July 20th, for the continuation of the trial.
The defendant, a manager at Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), resides at lot 187 Parfait Harmony Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara and first appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry on February 22 to answer the charge.
Police Corporal Venetta Pindar, who was prosecuting the matter then, told the court that on January 24, 2011, Marceline Small took to the Camp Street jail a prohibited item without lawful authority. Pindar added that the accused on the day of the incident was at the said prison to deliver meals for her husband who is on self support.
She said it is customary that meals brought for prisoners are inspected by prison officers for prohibited items and, as Barry Small’s meals brought by the accused were inspected, officers unearthed a cell phone stashed in a loaf of bread.
The prosecutor did not object to bail, but the magistrate informed the accused that bail will be refused. The Magistrate informed the court that owing to the seriousness and pervasiveness of the offence, the accused will be remanded.
Marceline Basdeo Small, who was a Miss Guyana Universe delegate in 2002, first came to prominence in 2001, when she and a male acquaintance alleged that they were kidnapped. The incident, according to Marceline, took place in front of the Tower Hotel, Main Street.