A neighbour of Abickie Ferguson testified yesterday that the accused had initiated the quarrel with her stepfather by pulling the plug from the television after he had put it on to watch.
Ferguson is on trial for the murder of her stepfather Glendon Scipio, who was stabbed to death on April 22, 2009.
Giving her evidence in chief when the trial resumed yesterday, the neighbour, Dora Fraser, said she had known Ferguson since she was a child and she was always doing wrong things, such as “having boys and when her stepfather spoke to her she would abuse him.”
Fraser said she had cause to speak to Ferguson on numerous occasions about mocking her stepfather.
On the day of the incident, she said, she saw Ferguson’s mother, Esther Simon, leave the home. Ferguson was left to go to school but she did not go.
Fraser said Scipio went home and called out to her, but she did not answer him. He proceeded home and put on the television, she said, adding that she saw Ferguson leave the neighbour’s yard and go home, where she apparently pulled out the radio and television cord.
Fraser said Scipio then called to her saying: “look what taking place.” She said he showed her the plug that had been removed.
Fraser said Ferguson then went over to her yard with the plug, but she told her to go back in their yard and she returned.
She then heard Scipio ask Ferguson why she had pulled out the plug when he was the one paying the electricity bill. This resulted in an argument between Ferguson and Scipio, but Ferguson’s voice “was on top,” the witness said.
According to Fraser, her grandson was at her home and he went over to Scipio’s home and spoke to both him and his stepdaughter.
Ferguson then went downstairs and Scipio followed her, the witness said; he was wrapped in a towel and they continued to argue.
She said Ferguson then went back upstairs and came down and after this, heard Scipio say “oh gad I get stab,” and he fell down. She said she did not see when Scipio was stabbed.
Fraser said Ferguson then left the yard and she followed her and asked her why she had stabbed Scipio. The witness said the young girl replied that he had hit her but she told her she was lying “that Glendon was holding his towel with both hands and could not hit her.”
Ferguson had said in an oral statement that she stabbed Scipio to death after he abused her. She had told police that Scipio began to abuse her after she came home from school. She had also said that he continued to abuse her resulting in her lashing him to his foot and subsequently stabbing him.
The trial is being heard before Justice Navindra Singh and a jury in the High Court. Ferguson is represented by attorney Hukumchand while Rhondel Weever and Renita Singh are presenting the state’s case. The trial continues today with the prosecution’s last witness followed by closing arguments by the defence and prosecution. Justice Singh will then sum up the evidence in the case and hand it over to the jury for deliberation.
