Ross Sheil, Staff Reporter

The body of the Trinidadian soldier, who died during a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) battle-fitness test last week, is to be sent home today, according to JDF Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin.

Rear Admiral Lewin told The Gleaner yesterday that the body of 41-year-old Corporal Leonard Sylvester, a 21-year veteran of the Trinidad Regiment, would be flown back, accompanied by one of his senior officers.

He would not reveal the results of the testimonial, only saying that there was "nothing untoward" about the death. He added that the results would be made public on Friday.

Corporal Sylvester, who was a student on a noncommissioned officer course at the Newcastle Training Depot, collapsed last Tuesday and was attended to by JDF medics before being airlifted to the University Hospital of the West Indies where he was pronounced dead about 7:40 a.m.

Family querying death

The Trinidad Express newspaper had reported this Tuesday that the family of 41-year-old Corporal Leonard Sylvester was questioning the circumstances of his death, claiming that they had been promised that his body would be returned on Friday, following the autopsy the day before.

The Chief of Staff had replied that formalities, such as the post-mortem, had precluded such an early return.