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‘I felt like something wasn’t right’

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Home Invader:Jasmin Smith.(Photo by Akil Simmons) November 21,2012

A mother of three fought back tears as she told a jury how a group of young men forced their way into her home.Four people were yesterday jointly charged in the Supreme Court for the armed invasion of the Middle Road, Devonshire residence.Terrence Christopher, 22, of Sandys, and Shayne James, 19, Tyrone Pedro, 22, and Jasmin Smith, 20, all of Pembroke, are accused jointly of aggravated burglary with a machete, as well as using an imitation firearm to commit an indictable offence.In the dock before Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves, each pleaded not guilty to both counts.The alleged attack on April 2, 2012 was described by Crown counsel Takiyah Burgess as leaving Rhonda Wilkinson “terrified that these intruders would kill her and her family”.Jewellery, money and a video game set, as well as cannabis belonging to an occupant, were taken from the home in the attack.Ms Smith is accused of knocking on the door, and the others of forcing their way in, while masked.Ms Burgess added that Ms Wilkinson’s teenage cousin was threatened with what she believed to be a real gun pressed to her head.The jury heard that two men who had been given a lift to the area heard one of the four shout “Anyone who snitches is dead” as the attackers drove away in their car.The trial opened yesterday with evidence from Detective Constable Hannah Brackstone’s description of obtaining fingerprints from an entertainment unit in the living room of the house.The four are defended by lawyers Charles Richardson, Elizabeth Christopher, Larry Mussenden and Craig Attridge respectively, and under cross examination Det Con Brackstone said she hadn’t dusted the door to the home for prints.Ms Wilkinson’s evidence centred on a description of her home, where she’d been living for about six months, and the evening of April 2.Before retiring to the bedroom with her boyfriend Cori Broadbelt, she’d told her young cousin to listen out for a visitor, Reginald, who would be dropping around with a kite for her ten-year-old son.Questioned by Crown counsel Susan Mulligan, Ms Wilkinson said there was someone at the door around 8.30pm — but that she opened it to “a young lady” she didn’t know, and who asked if “Popeye” was there.“She asked again and she looked over her shoulder — I felt like something wasn’t right, so I tried to close the door,” Ms Wilkinson said.She added: “She pushed it open, and three boys ran in.”After the girl had pulled the door shut, leaving the intruders in the house, Ms Wilkinson said she realised her young son had come downstairs and was standing behind her.The trial continues today.

Tyrone Pedro (Photo by Akil Simmons)
Shayne James (Photo by Akil Simmons)
Terrence Christopher (Photo by Akil Simmons)