Accused allegedly made oral confession to the crime

THE judge and jury at the Demerara Assizes yesterday heard that a dancing girl whose infatuation with her girlfriend had been so severe that it resulted in her death.Sonobia James is dead, and her close friend, Tiffany Clarke of Georgetown is facing trial for her murder. The trial continued yesterday before Justice Navindra Singh and a mixed jury.
Tiffany pleaded not guilty to murder and is being represented by Attorney-at-Law, Mr. George Thomas, who is seeking to have the oral confession set aside on the ground that it was not the product of his client; but the prosecutor Ms. Dhanika Singh called to the witness stand Police Constable Ms. Mallisa Gilkes, who testified that the accused had made the confession to her.

Gilkes said she was at the Georgetown Hospital Police Outpost on the night in question when two Negro men and an unidentified woman approached her and told her about a wounding that had occurred at the Dragon Night Club.

Witness said she went to the hospital and was told something. She added: “I examined James’s body and saw what appeared to be a stab wound to the lower left side of the neck. I then returned to the said police outpost, where I contacted Tiffany Clarke and I said to her: ‘You, on Saturday 26, February 2011 stabbed Sonobia James at the Red Dragon Night Club (on) Robb Street, Georgetown, which resulted in her death’ and I cautioned her, saying: ‘You are not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so, but whatever you say may be put into writing and will be given in evidence.”

According to Gilkes, Tiffany Clarke replied saying: “Me and Sonobia went to Red Dragon. We went dancing for a while, and then we went and sit down and drink some beers. It had a red skin girl dancing same time with we. Then she Sonobia get up and say ‘Baby’ I going and tell this girl she panty get blood, because like she ent know, and it looking bad. I sit down looking, I ent see she come back. When I look, I see she and the girl laughing and talking. Then they go outside; and when she come back in, she go to the toilet. I go behind she and say, ‘Baby’ wha is all of dah?’ and we start to argue about the girl.

“I tell she I love she, but we still argue more. She push me and we start fighting, and I stab she. She fell down and I said ‘Baby, I sorry. Get up’. Then nuff people come and we brought she to the hospital.”

Gilkes said the accused, Tiffany Clarke, made the oral statement of her own free will, but when Gilkes asked whether she wished to put same in writing, Clarke replied: “Not now.”
In answer to cross examination by defence attorney Thomas, Gilkes said she could not recall whether she had recorded the oral statement in the Station Diary or in any of the books at the police hospital outpost.

Gilkes also said that no one was present to witness the oral confession made by Clarke. She, however, denied a defence suggestion that the alleged oral confession had been fabricated.
The hearing continues on Monday March 24.

(By George Barclay)