Body stuffed in septic tank: Appeal Court reserves ruling in appeal by duo jailed for 117 years

The Court of Appeal has reserved its decision, which will be made public at a later date, after hearing separate appeals from Anthony De Paul Hope and Ralph Tyndall, who are contesting their convictions and lengthy prison terms for the 2007 murder of Colleen Forrester, whose body was discovered stuffed in a septic tank of a Campbellville, Georgetown home.
Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards announced during a recent hearing at the Kingston, Georgetown courthouse that the court will now give itself time to consider the appeal and that notices of the date it will pronounce its decision will be sent.

In July 2015, a jury before now Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, SC, had found De Paul Hope called “Papa” and Tyndall called “Nick” guilty of the murder of Forrester following a lengthy trial.
Tyndall received a 55-year sentence, and Hope received a 62-year sentence.
Hope only becomes eligible for parole after serving 40 years of his sentence. Tyndall, on the other hand, will be eligible for parole after having served 25 years of his sentence.

Hope and Tyndall both appealed after being found guilty.
Attorneys-at-Law Ronald Daniels and Madan Kissoon are representing Tyndall at the Court of Appeal, while Attorney-at-Law Melvin Duke is representing Hope. The State is being represented by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Diana Kaulesar-O’Brien.
The 56-year-old woman was murdered sometime between December 26, 2007, and January 6, 2008, when her body was found jammed into the septic tank of the William Street, Campbellville property she was watching over for her brother, wrapped in a sheet.
Hope, Guyana Times understands, is Forrester’s nephew and he had resided at the address where her lifeless body was found. According to a Police report, the body of Forrester was discovered at just around 9:55h on Sunday, January 6, 2008, after Police conducted a search on the William Street, Campbellville property, where she was a caretaker.
They searched the place following a report by relatives that she was missing and discovered the body in the septic tank. Relatives reported that she was last seen returning home from the Main Big Lime in the early hours of December 27, 2007. A post-mortem examination conducted several days later revealed that she died as a result of strangulation and blunt trauma to the head.

She was reportedly strangled and beaten to death with a pestle (mortar stick).
Another man, Kevin O’Neil, who had been jointly charged along with Tyndall and Hope for the murder of Forester, was, however, acquitted earlier in the trial after the Judge upheld a no-case submission made by his lawyer. The Director of Public Prosecutions has appealed his acquittal.
O’Neil was released on his own recognisance pending the hearing and determination of the State’s appeal. Prosecutor Kaulesar-O’Brien told the court during the most recent hearing that O’Neil no longer dwells at the address he had provided, therefore the State was unable to get in touch with him. As a result, the Chancellor gave the order to inform the former murder accused that the appeal was ready for hearing via radio messages and print publications. (G1)