Jamaican on Siparia murder charge

Adrian Byfield of Jamaica appeared before a magistrate on Monday charged with the murder of his estranged girlfriend, 46-year-old Rachael Valerie Logan.

Byfield, a security guard, faced Siparia magistrate Margaret Alert, who told him that murders are non-bailable in TT.

She read that sometime between February 20 and 22 at Quarry Village in Siparia, he allegedly murdered Logan.

A relative found Logan’s body with chop wounds at the family’s home on Friday after a domestic dispute.

Police arrested Byfield a short distance away.

Insp Darryl Corrie and Sgt Jane Steven-James, of the Homicide Bureau Region III, supervised the investigations. Last week legal officer Kyrn Lewis submitted a file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). On Saturday, DPP Roger Gaspard SC instructed police to formally charge Byfield. PC Bernard laid the charge.

Holding a sheet of paper in his hands, Byfield stood before the magistrate on Monday and did not say anything.

The magistrate told him the matter would be heard in the court as an inquiry. If the court finds there is enough evidence for him to stand trial, he will do so at the San Fernando High Court.

Attorney Janelle Luke told the court she was holding for attorney Allysa Habib.

Sgt Starr Jacob prosecuted.

The magistrate remanded Byfield into police custody to reappear on March 27.