Trial for 86-year-old commences

Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

The trial of 86-year-old consultant botanist George Proctor, who is charged with conspiracy to murder his wife and three other women who lived at their house, began yesterday in the Home Circuit Court.

Proctor, an American, is charged jointly with Glenmore Fillington, 42-year-old driver of Lyn Avenue, Christiana, Manchester.

They are on bail in the sum of $500,000 each with sureties.

The Crown, represented by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Dirk Harrison and Crown Counsel Sanchia Burrell, is alleging that between February 1 and April 20, 2006, the men tried to murder 68-year-old Leila Campbell Proctor, a retired seamstress.

It is further alleged that the men also conspired to murder Tanya Bradley, Florence Johnson and Shirley Spencer, who all lived at the Proctors' house at Stanton Terrace, St Andrew.

Broken relationship

Proctor's wife testified yesterday he went abroad to do research in 1980 and returned in 1999, and since then they had had no relationship as man and wife.

She said after a while, he became verbally abusive and would call her names for no reason, just to be malicious. She said Proctor asked her why she had so many people living at the house.

Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Tom Tavares-Finson, she admitted that her husband was a man with a generous spirit. She admitted having an intimate relationship when Proctor was abroad. She said she apologised to him, but did not know if he had forgiven her.