The absence of investigating officer Paul Rodrigues deferred the commencement of a voir dire to determine the admissibility of Patricia Alves’ caution statement when the preliminary inquiry into the death of Camille Seenauth continued yesterday.
Rodrigues had been the second witness to give testimony in the inquiry into the death of Seenauth, the woman whose body was discovered buried in a shallow grave in the yard of Alves’ Alberttown home.
The voir dire (trial within a trial) had been ordered by acting Chief Magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen when Alves on the previous occasion had petitioned the statement, which she was alleged to have given voluntarily.
Alves had told the court she had been under a lot of stress when the caution statement was given and could not remember giving it.
She had also asked for time to make contact with her attorney.
Appearing for Alves is attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes, who yesterday made an application to the court to be allowed to cross-examine the first witness, Everyn Small before the commencement of the voir dire.