2 men to stand trial for the murder of British couple in Tobago

Two men have been committed to stand trial for the murder of British couple Richard and Gracie Wheeler, in Tobago, six years ago.

The trial of St Vincent national Naajib Hills and Andre Romeo, of Mt Pleasant, Tobago, will be heard in the High Court at a date to be fixed. The men appeared virtually on Thursday before Magistrate Jo Ann Connor in the Scarborough Magistrate’s Court.

Wheeler, 72, a former attorney at Lex Caribbean and his wife, 67, a Trinidadian, were discovered dead at the home in the village of Carnbee on October 20, 2015.

Mrs Wheeler was found by a gardener on the lawn with a cut to her neck while police officers discovered her husband face down in a pool of blood with chop wounds to both arms and the back of the head.

Police had said robbery was the motive.

A police statement issued after the murders said: “An initial assessment suggests robbery as the possible motive as the bedroom and living room areas were ransacked. However, all avenues are being explored and all leads pursued.”

Commenting on the matter, a senior police officer told Sunday Newsday: “This is now in the realm of the High Court. This was a preliminary inquiry. This is for the magistrate to determine whether, in fact, there was sufficient evidence in which for them to answer. That was established and now the magistrate committed them. So they are now going to answer for the murders before the High Court.”

He added this will depend on the speed with which the DPP would read the indictment to them.

“So as soon as the DPP sends out the indictment, normally what will happen is that the matter will appear before a judge, who will hear the matter. All indictable matters pass through this process.”