Grandson confesses to disposing of woman’s body; says her death was an accident

The 27-year-old man who was arrested for the death of his 88-year-old grandmother has since confessed to wrapping her body in a bedsheet and disposing of it in a pile of garbage opposite her Russell Street, Georgetown house.

Yannick Gilpin told detectives that in an accidental gesture, his foot hit Patricia ‘Patsy’ Bovell in her head after which she fell on a rug and hit her head.

He said Bovell became motionless and in fear, he wrapped her in a bedsheet, took her down the stairs and placed her on an old refrigerator.

After checking and noticing no one was around, the suspect said he took Bovell to the lot across the street and placed her among a pile of garbage.

The decomposed body of Bovell was discovered by her niece at around 10:30hrs on Wednesday but Gilpin had initially told the Police that he took her to the hospital on Saturday last.

Checks at the hospital revealed that the elderly woman was never there.

According to information reaching the News Room, the suspect told investigators that Bovell would frequently accuse him of stealing from her.

He said that on Monday morning at around 04:00hrs, he was in the bottom flat of the house when he heard “tumbling” in the upper flat where Bovell lived.

Gilpin said he decided to check on his grandmother when she began to shout “murder, murder, thief, thief!”

The suspect further told investigators that he checked around the building and didn’t see anything suspicious. At the time, he claimed that Bovell was sitting on the floor naked and as he was about to leave the building, his foot hit her in the head, causing her to collapse.

The woman’s neighbour, who cooked for her on a daily basis, contacted relatives claiming that the last time she saw Bovell was on Saturday.

A missing person’s report was filed with the Police and the family launched a search for the elderly woman when they made the gruesome discovery on Wednesday morning.

Bovell lived alone in the upper flat of the house which she shared with Gilpin. She has one daughter who resides overseas.

Her body is currently at the Memorial Garden funeral home awaiting a post-mortem examination.