Pregnant mother of two hangs self
[Trinidad Express] – Police are investigating a report that a mother of two, who was said to be four months’ pregnant, killed herself in Arima on Thursday.
According to police reports, around 4.15 p.m. on Thursday, officers of the Arima Police Station received a report that a woman had been found hanging from a rope attached to the rafters of her home at Mt Pleasant Road.
She was found by a female relative who was at the house at the time. A team of officers from the station was dispatched to the location and verified the information.
Officers were informed the deceased was 28-year-old Stephanie Phillip, and that she was said to be pregnant at the time. She was also the mother of two young girls, aged eight and two.
Police sources yesterday told the Express they did not ascertain a reason for the incident, as when relatives were questioned they noted that Phillip had not given prior indication of depression, nor did she leave a note.
A post-mortem was conducted at the Forensic Science Centre in St James yesterday. However, when approached, relatives declined to speak to the media at the time, simply indicating they were “too distraught”.
Police sources indicated relatives are expected to be approached over the weekend by officials from the Victim Support Unit.
Kingston doctor charged with illegal abortion
KINGSTON, Jamaica — A medical doctor was on Friday charged with procuring abortion after a report was made to the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA).
He is 54-year-old Dr Lloyd Brooks of a Kingston 8 address. Reports are that on Tuesday, detectives from CISOCA received a report that Brooks carried out an abortion on a minor. He was questioned in the presence of his attorney and was charged with the offence.
He is scheduled to appear in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
US Coast Guard seizes over US$11M in drugs in Caribbean Sea
MIAMI, United States (CMC) – The United States Coast Guard says it has seized drugs estimated at more than US$11 million during operations in the Caribbean Sea this month.
It said that the drugs including 254 kilograms of cocaine and 3,662 pounds of marijuana were seized as part of Operation Martillo, which is one component in the United States Government’s approach to countering the use of the Central American littorals as trans-shipment routes for illicit drugs, weapons and cash through the Caribbean Sea.
The coast guard said that, on September 3, it boarded a Panamanian flagged vessel, southeast of Nicaragua, after receiving permission from the Panamanian Government.
It said the boarding team discovered 254 kilograms of cocaine in a hidden compartment worth an estimated wholesale value of US$8.5 million. The suspects were transferred to law enforcement authorities in Tampa, Florida on September 12, the coast guard said.
Also on September 3, the Coast Guard said it received a report of three people clinging to a capsized vessel and following their rescue, 68 bales of marijuana was discovered floating in the water.
The Coast Guard said that it recovered 3,600 pounds of marijuana with an estimated wholesale value of US$3.3 million.
“These seizures highlight the hard work and dedication of the US Coast Guard and our interagency and international partners in stopping illegal drugs from reaching the streets of the US and those of our Caribbean neighbours,” said Lieutenant Earl Potter, commanding officer of the Miami based Coast Guard Cutter Robert Yered.
The coast guard said these two cases represent “a fraction” of the recent success it has had against maritime drug smuggling.
