Peter Vogel Murder Trial: Mother begged accused son to surrender to police

Livern Barrett, Senior Gleaner Writer

The mother of the man accused of killing university lecturer Dr Peter Vogel today recounted how he ignored her plea to go to the police.

Wendolyn Anglin-Bowen also testified that her son, Kelvin Downer, and his girlfriend, Yanika Scott, left their infant daughter in her care in 2008 but never visited or called to enquire about the child's well-being.

Downer and Scott, who was Dr Vogel's live-in household helper, are on trial in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston for killing the former lecturer at his home in Mona Commons, St Andrew in 2007.

Anglin-Bowen testified that in 2007 she was  informed that her son and his girlfriend were implicated in a murder and had gone missing.

She said the couple visited her at home in Westmoreland shortly after and she told them what she heard.

According to Anglin-Bowen, Scott responded by saying it was kind of complicated.

Under cross-examination, she said her son protested that he did not kill anyone and insisted that she should believe him.

She testified that she next saw the couple in 2008 and told them to go to the police and have the matter cleared up.

Anglin-Bowen said her son promised he would go to the police.

She also said that was the last time she saw her son before she visited him at the Central Police Station following his arrest, also in 2008.