Tobago man on murder charge after burning woman

A 20-year-old Tobago man is expected to appear before a Scarborough magistrate today charged with the murder of Ellena Dial, who on June 17 died of injuries sustained after she was set on fire in a January attack.

Antonio Marcelle, alias AJ, a skilled labourer of Les Coteaux, who was charged for attempted murder but out on bail, was rearrested on August 12 and charged for murder on advice received from Director of Public Prosecutions, Roger Gaspard, SC, on Monday. The charge was laid by W/Sgt Sterling of the Crown Point Police Station.

In February, Marcelle appeared in the Scarborough Magistrates' Court charged with the attempted murder of Dial. At that time, he was not called upon to plead as the charge was laid indictably. He was placed on $400,000 bail.

According to police, Ellena Dial, 19, a kitchen assistant at the Tristar Restaurant, Carnbee was at Kilgwyn Beach on January 27 when she was approached by assailants who threw a substance on her and set her alight.

She was taken to Scarborough General Hospital with third-degree burns to her face and upper torso. She was then transferred to the ICU at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope where she remained warded until her death.