In a verdict handed down about three hours after the jury went into deliberation, the jury was not unanimous in their findings with an eleven to one in favor of guilty.

SKNVibes was the only media that spoke to Cannonier briefly as the police escorted him to the Police vehicle and in an angry voice said that he will appeal the matter.

“How do I feel? I feel set up!” he said. “The trial was not fair and I’m going to appeal.”

Director of Public Prosecution Paulina Hendrickson told His Lordship Francis Belle in court when asked about the type of sentencing, requested the death penalty.

The trial began last Monday, Oct. 15 with over twenty witnesses including important witnesses Makenya Lawrence, an ex-girlfriend, Gavin Gilbert (deceased) and Lionel Warner who were both friends of Cannonier.

Those witnesses were said to have confessions and messages from the accused concerning the “murder weapon” according to their testimony.

 (Photo of Police Constable Delvin Nisbett who was brutally murdered on July 25, 2004)  

Lawrence testified and said that on the morning after the murder, Cannonier came to her home and told her that he had killed the police. She said he was acting nervous and in an unusual behavior.

Gilbert’s testimony said that Cannonier told him where to locate the “gun” and who to give it to and also to be careful with the gun as it was he used to kill the police with.

Warner was described by the Prosecution as the messenger of death as he told the court Cannonier told him to give messages to two people about getting rid of Lawrence and Gilbert.

Serologists Caroline Zerbos, Rhonda Craig Forensic Examiner of the FBI Lab in Washington and Forensic Pathologist Dr. Stephen Jones were the witnesses that supported the Prosecution’s theories of scientific evidence in the case.

Sir Richard Cheltenham of Barbados assisted the Director of Public Prosecution in the case and acted as lead counsel for the prosecution.

Cannonier was represented by Lawyer Hesketh Benjamin whose defense was not enough to have the jury deliver a verdict of ‘not guilty’.

Benjamin in his summation stressed on two points.

“No one said they saw his client committing the murder” and a five dollar note after forensic examining was found with the deceased’s blood on it. The said five dollar was said to have been taken from the accused by the Police on the day he was arrested and Benjamin sought to plant in the jury’s mind that the note did not belong to his client.

Sentencing is set for Nov. 12.

Romeo Cannonier found guilty of murdering Police Constable

Delvin Nisbett.