The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A SENIOR policeman claimed that Prince Hepburn admitted aloud to killing his lover, a well known charity worker, after talking about how he spent over $1m on her and left his marriage, only for her “to scheme” on him.

Supt Theophilus Cunningham said that on April 7, 2011, the contractor made the confession as he came out of the apartment where Nellie Mae Brown-Cox was found dead.

“I spent over $1m on this woman. I left my wife for her and she gone scheme on me? I couldn’t live with that. I had to kill her,” the Supt said, claiming that these were Hepburn’s exact words to him when he instructed him to step outside the complex.

However, Hepburn’s attorney, Murrio Ducille suggested to the officer that those words were never uttered by his client. It is claimed that on April 6 or 7, 2011, Hepburn caused the death of Nellie Mae Brown, the 42-year-old former president of the Bahamas Heart Association.

She was found dead in the kitchen of an apartment on Bougainvillea Blvd, South Beach, with multiple stab wounds.

Hepburn, her partner at the time, was charged in connection with her death six days later when he was arraigned in the Magistrate’s Court.

The trial date was set for August 2012 before Mr Justice Charles. However, the matter had been stood down to October 1 because of the continuing John Bull Rolex Boutique theft case, which had opened in May.

When October came, the John Bull trial had yet to be completed and so the Hepburn case was adjourned to February 21.

However,  a $1.3 million theft trial was being heard before that court and the matter was deferred to March 18, yesterday’s date.

In yesterday’s proceedings, after empanelling a six-man, six woman jury, the trial finally started with an opening address from assisting prosecutor, Basil Cumberbatch.

Mr Cumberbatch, after the Crown had alleged that Hepburn had purposely and intentionally planned to kill Brown-Cox, outlined the background that had led to the death.

The prosecutor noted that Hepburn had left his wife and children for the deceased for whom he had built a house, taken on trips and bought gifts and other items owned by Brown-Cox.

“The defendant paid for everything in her house. The house was in her name,” Mr Cumberbatch said. Based on a confession, Hepburn suspected she was sweathearting. He wanted revenge “because he felt he was being used and he wanted to get even.”

“The manner in which she died was a result of injuries inflicted from a sharp instrument. He used his Bougainvillea apartment to ambush Nellie Brown-Cox,” the prosecutor alleged.

“After committing the act, he confessed to a number of persons of what he had done,” the prosecutor concluded before the first witness was called.

Public prosecution’s deputy director Franklyn Williams questioned Sgt 88 Kervin Jones about his involvement in the case as a crime scene investigator.

Sgt Jones told the court that he was on duty at the East Street South police station around 9am, April 7, when he received “certain information” and went to a residence at Bougainvillea Blvd, South Beach.

After receiving instructions from Supt Cunningham, he took “a series of photographs” with respect to Prince Hepburn before entering apartment three where he made certain observations.

“I saw the lifeless body of a dark-skinned female lying on the kitchen floor. The head of the deceased was in a western direction and the feet in the eastern direction. I noticed what appeared to be a multiple amount of lacerations and stab wounds about the body,” he said.

“The right hand was completely severed and there was a pool of suspected blood,” the officer said.

Sgt Jones said blood was smeared throughout the kitchen and upon entering the bedroom, suspect blood was on the bed’s quilt along with a brown-handled cutlass.

“As a result of my observations, I took photos of the scene,” the officer said.

Those photos of the scene were produced in court and for the jury to see as the officer walked them through multiple images, including one showing a picture of the cutlass saying: “You next George.”

In cross-examination, defending attorney Mr Ducille asked the officer if he knew how the inscriptions on the cutlass, shown in the photo, got there.

“I can’t say,” Sgt Jones answered.

The Crown then called Supt Cunningham to the witness box, who testified that after receiving certain information, he went to Bougainvillea Blvd around 9:45am on April 7 where he saw a lifeless body at the rear of the triplex with multiple stab wounds.

The senior policeman also said he heard a “groaning” sound coming from inside.

Mr Cumberbatch asked the officer what happened next.

“I shouted in a loud tone of voice: ‘Is anyone in there?’” the officer said, adding that the response from a person inside was, “I am here.”

The police superintendent said he asked the man to come outside the apartment. He said that as he walked through the front door, the man he identified in court as Prince Hepburn, uttered some words.

“I spent over a $1million on this woman. I left my wife for her and she gone scheme on me? I couldn’t live with that. I had to kill her,” the Supt said, claiming that these were Hepburn’s exact words to him when the officer instructed him to step outside the complex.

The officer, observing that Hepburn had cuts on his hands, wrists and left side of his neck, said he cautioned and arrested him in connection with the woman’s death.

In cross-examination, Mr Ducille asked the officer how long he had served on the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

“Twenty-eight and a half years,” the officer replied.

Referring to the officer’s testimony in which he claimed Hepburn had made a statement about a woman scheming on him, and noting police protocol concerning the cautioning of suspects in connection with alleged crimes, Mr Ducille asked the officer: “Based on what you said he said up to that point, didn’t it occur to you, you should’ve cautioned him to say nothing further?”

“No, sir. He didn’t finish what he was saying,” the Supt said.

“You no rookie cop? You’re aware of the reason for the caution? It’s good police practice to do this?” the attorney asked.

“Yes, sir,” the officer answered.

“I’m suggesting to you, this man didn’t say anything of the sort,” Mr Ducille said.

“He did, sir,” the senior policeman said.

Following testimony from this officer, prosecutor Kendra Kelly called Princess Margaret Hospital pathologist Dr Caryn Sands to give evidence on the autopsy report done on Brown-Cox days after her death.

Dr Sands concluded that the deceased died as a result of the two-dozen plus lacerations and injuries to her body.

The pathologist said that some nine cut wounds were found on Brown-Cox’s head and more about her torso and extremities.

The trial resumes today before Justice Indra Charles.

Krysta Mason-Smith and Nathan Smith also represent Hepburn.