THE St Thomas woman and a fellow villager who are charged jointly with murdering the woman’s Finnish husband and with conspiracy to murder, are to face a preliminary inquiry into the charges, starting on January 9, 2006.

They are Melody Baugh-Pellinen, 24, bar operator of Lyssons, and Marvin Stewart, 30, carpenter, who were arrested in October when the police began investigating the gun-slaying of the husband, Dr Timo Pellinen, 57.

Stewart was offered $500,000 bail in the Trelawny Resident Magistrate’s Court at Clarke’s Town, three weeks ago. However, Baugh-Pellinen, has been in custody since her arrest.

Resident Magistrate Frank Williams set the date for the preliminary inquiry when the case came up before him on December 8. It is to take place at the RM Court at Duncans.

Baugh-Pellinen, who is represented by attorney-at-law George Soutar, was denied bail to allow the police to undertake financial investigations which took them to Finland, and on the grounds that she might be a flight risk.

Stewart is represented by attorney-at-law Ronald Koathes.

Dr Pellinen, who had practised medicine in Helsinki, Finland, was shot dead on the Harmony Hall main road, Trelawny, on the night of October 1, 2005, while his wife was driving him to Ocho Rios, St Ann, from the Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay.

The court was told that Mrs Baugh-Pellinen had picked up her husband at the airport and was taking him to stay in Ocho Rios, when she pulled over on the soft shoulder. Another car which was travelling behind hers, bumped into her car, she got out to inspect her car, as did the man who was driving the other car, and they both agreed that no damage had been done.

Her husband then went to take a look, and the driver of the other car fired three shots. The wife ran into nearby bushes from which she said she heard another shot.

She called the police on her mobile phone and when they arrived they found that her husband had been shot dead.

Police investigations led to the arrest of Mrs Baugh-Pellinen, and Stewart, who is alleged to have been the driver of the other car.

Dr Pellinen – who had been married before – and Melody Baugh met in England about four years ago and they got married in Finland in August 2003.