MURDER TRIAL: $9K withdrawn days before Nickera Smith’s disappearance
Just days before the disappearance of murder victim Nickera Smith in 2016, a total of $9,000 was withdrawn from her bank account.
This information was revealed in the High Court on Friday by Officer Sean Adams, who is attached to the Financial Crime Unit of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force. Officer Adams was called as a Crown witness in the murder trial of Ashan Westcott, who is accused of Smith’s murder.
As the murder trial continued on Friday, the court heard that the police had taken a closer look into Smith’s finances during their homicide investigation. According to Officer Adams, the $9,000 withdrawal was part of a larger sum that had been deposited into Smith’s account days earlier.
He told the court that between December 30, 2015 and January 7, 2016,a total of two lump-sum deposits – $5,000 and $9,000 respectively — were made to the victim’s account while she was alive. These deposits totalled $14,000.
Officer Adams stated that Smith later withdrew $5,000 on January 25 and $4,000 the following day.
She disappeared on January 27.
The source of the funds was called into question during the court proceedings. During cross-examination, the accused murderer’s attorney, Israel Bruce, questioned Officer Adams about the police’s investigation into the withdrawals.
The defence attorney asked Adams whether the withdrawn money had been recovered or traced. The officer responded, “No.”
The defence lawyer then asked, “Would you agree that you don’t know where the $9,000 came from?”
Adams replied, “I do know where the $9,000 came from, but the information is not from the bank.”
“So you took second-hand information to a formal matter,” attorney Bruce pressed.
Meanwhile, the victim’s mother also took the stand on Friday, testifying that she had discovered a letter among her deceased daughter’s belongings, addressed to the accused, Westcott. The letter, which bore the logo of the courier company DHL, was submitted to the court, but its contents were not read aloud in the courtroom.
The trial continues.
Director of Public Prosecution Tiffany Scatliffe-Esprit represented the Crown while Justice Stanley John presided over the case.
At the time of Westcott’s arrest in 2020, some four years after the murder, Scatliffe-Esprit said cellphone conversations, along with conflicting statements to police were some of the things used to link Westcott to the crime.
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The DPP should not be prosecuting a case in the High Court. We are all waiting for the submission of no case to answer.
is an indictable offense and must be prosecuted in the High Court.
Magistrate’s Court only deals with summary offenses.
@Murder
I know that thank you very much. The point is that the DPP should not be prosecuting any case in the High Court – it is beyond her skill level.
They don’t fumble this one.
Fumbled from the get go. 9 mda…ing years to try somebody?????????????
This a next law suit
Please don’t drop the ball on this one, her family needs this closure.
And my opinion only, I believe he murdered the young lady and then toss her out like a piece of garbage to rot in the bushes. I hope her parents get justice for their daughter
Thank you, I don’t give a damn what his defense lawyer have to say, that negro killed that young lady in a brutal manner and then toss her in the bushes like a piece of garbage for the wild animals to eat. yes, that is what my gut instinct is telling me. He took her money and then he killed her. I hope she did not suffer and I pray her family get JUSTICE FOR THE YOUNG LADY. SHE DID NOT DESERVE WHAT HE DID TO HER.CORRECT ME IF YOU MAY, DID HE NOT RUN TO ST.THOMAS AND THE USVI POLICE SNATCH HIS A..UP? NEGRO, YOUR KARMA IS GOING TO HIT YOU TENFOLD.
Don’t forget to cover his tracks he allegedly MUTILATED HER PRIVATE PART TO COVER CRIME CAUSE HE ALSO RA*ED HER. hE IS LOWER THAN GARBAGE CAUSE TRASH HAS ACTUAL USE.
After he allegedly violated her, mutilated her to hide his DNA. What kind of monster is this man?
Let justice prevail. This is long overdue. He knows what he did to that young beautiful smart and intelligent girl on that fateful day. Gruesome discovery of her body.
It was always said the $9000.00 came from the bank. I think the officer was just saying that info was not directly told to him. Find the officer who got the first hand info.
Fleed to stt ask about why he left.and pleasee reveal those whatsapp dialogues
She was a very sweet and lovable person, never in any problem, friendly always laughing. She never deserve what happen to her! I pray Justice is served!!!
Advise your client to take a plea deal and stop wasting the courts time and resources on this piece of garbage.
Is this our leading prosecutor on this case? The DPP is surely the top dawg but is she the best? Can you rank number one in losing cases? Sure that is part of the stats isn’t it?
No, no, no. She should not have been mrdered in the first place, and her body thrown over the hill side was beyond inhuman. Not even a dog would have received such a heinous ending.
He probably put her remains there so she would eventually be found. Meanwhile, the people who would go there to enjoy the views, atmosphere, sites and commerce activity of the airport were confronted each day and night with the smells of a decaying body.
Sad how little we think of and treat each other, living or dead. May her soul continue to voyage in tranquility.
Sad. This the type of person who we read about on the news. Does feel our jail is too good for that type. Persons are locked up for victimless crimes such as drug possession and they have to be next to him.
He father was a police so he will win
So what the F does that mean because his father was a police. That is one of the problems/norm that is going on in this place. It should not matter who Mami and Papi is/was, or you are related to. YOU DO THE DAMN CRIME, YOU SERVE THE DAMN TIME!!!!!. So because his father was a F police he is/will win? Whoever you are, you need to go F off with the ignorant BS.
I have always said this…no matter how much money these lawyers make, I stand on principle and would never defend a criminal.
It’s disgraceful to see lawyers lie for their clients. I have witnessed this while on the stand and called the lawyer out on the lies.
You sound so stupid. So because his father was a cop he is going to win the case and walk? Is that how the Justice system work in the BVI? Based on who you are related to or the person title that gives you a pass to commit a crime and walk?
His father could be police his father must be proud of the piece of …
My son who is an Attorney in the US chose not to be a Criminal Defense Attorney and chose to be a Real Estate Attorney. He stated that he can not represent someone that committed a crime and fight for a criminal to be not found guilty and set free knowing the client is guilty.
He father was a police so he will win and Tiffany scatliff esprit I want pics of that a** , level that island man and u will win case
He, that demon, for only a demon could kill his friend and probably and toss her remains over a hill for the public to smell her decaying body.
Dude has a big ole hole right where hie heart were suppose.
For months i wasseeing the baag and smelling the horrible. I even talked to my self a few times saying an animal died down that way. All the time there was a dead human right under my nose.
Life with no parole should be his final fate.
Only one mistake the police have to make and he will be a free man , I feel for the girl , and if he said he didn’t do it he didn’t f**k them island man police trying. Them man needs to start leveling them dirt cop in the bush to rot as well
But I think he put her body in the spot that she was found in the bushes to hide his DNA. He figured by the time they found her whatever DNA was on her would have been destroyed be it by rain, sun or some type of wildlife. Who knows if the Crime scene Unit did not find his DNA somewhere on her remains. Remember when she was found, the police never disclose the extent of her injuries? I may be wrong, but I feel they got the right person on trial and is responsible for that heinous crime. I hope her parents get justice for their daughter. I also hope all the other families whose love ones have been murdered on the Island will get justice as well for their loved ones.
Virgin Gorda is where the high end tourist visit and offers luxury accommodations for tourist as well. Do you think they are going to allow the criminals to do what they do and take over Virgin Gorda like Tortola? They will never allow that to happen. To many high end tourist visit Virgin Gorda. If they allow criminals to start with the nonsense like they do on Tortola, the tourist is going to stop visiting Virgin Gorda and go somewhere else where they are going to feel much safer.