The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

HAIR stylist De’Edra Gibson has denied allegations she stole four boys between the ages of three and eight from various places in New Providence earlier this year.

The 29-year-old was formally charged before Justice Carolita Bethel on Friday with four counts of child stealing concerning her alleged actions between February and March.

Given Gibson’s not guilty pleas, Justice Bethel assigned the matter to her fellow Justice, Bernard Turner’s court for trial. Gibson will appear before Justice Turner on August 23 for case management.

In April, Gibson was charged before Magistrate Samuel McKinney with abducting three eight-year-old boys and a three-year-old between February 16 and March 29.

During her initial arraignment, her attorney Howard Thompson Jr told Magistrate McKinney that his client has a history of mental health issues. In fact, he said, just last October Gibson spent some time in the psychiatric ward of the Brookdale University Hospital in New York.

At the time, Mr Thompson said he had also received legal instructions from Gibson that ranged from “incomprehensible” to “bizarre”.

As a result, Magistrate McKinney remanded the woman to the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre (SRC) and adjourned the matter to have a psychiatric report on her mental fitness presented to the court.

That psychiatric report revealed she is in fact fit to plea to the charges. She subsequently elected to be tried in the Supreme Court.

At the time, however, Gibson appeared initially not to want her matter to be tried in the Supreme Court, and at the very least, seemed to be opposed to her family having a part in the decision making. She could be overheard telling her attorney that “they don’t have no say”.

Nonetheless, after she told Magistrate McKinney of her selection, and he remanded her to the BDCS to await the service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI), in a disgusted voice she remarked: “I hope they happy”.

Gibson was later granted $20,000 bail with two sureties by Justice Gregory Hilton.

As part of her bail conditions, Gibson must have regular check-ups at the SRC every two months, follow her treatment plan and provide proof of compliance to the court.

She was also ordered to surrender her passport and wear an ankle bracelet. She is also ordered to report to the Elizabeth Estates Police Station on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

On July 31, when Gibson was presented with her four VBI’s, it was revealed that the Crown had upgraded her charges from child abduction to child stealing.

Child abduction carries a maximum prison term of two years. However, if convicted of child stealing, Gibson would face up to 10 years in prison.