BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN accordance with the order of the court, two young men who were convicted of a gun-related offence will be guests at Her Majesty’s Prison for a combined period of 16 years.
Nearing the close of the September 2009 Criminal Assizes, Evan Daniel and Jamoy Warner were convicted of a “shooting at with intent” offence which was committed sometime last year.
The duo returned to court late last week for their sentencing hearing which was presided over by His Lordship Justice Francis Belle at the Basseterre High Court of Justice.
Daniel, 25, as explained by His Lordship, seems to have a “a real propensity for violence” evident by his antecedence which indicates that he has 10 previous convictions. These include resisting arrest, making use of threatening language, battery and carrying abroad an offensive weapon.
His Lordship further explained that most of the convictions took place in 2007 and some were directly related to or resultant of disputes with family members. The court was also informed by Director of Public Prosecution Paulina Hendrickson that the victim of the “shooting at” offence is Daniel’s cousin.
Daniel, as was revealed in court, is no stranger to the boundaries of Her Majesty’s Prison having spent a number of stints there ranging from 14 days to three months. Yet, as Justice Belle suggests, “you haven’t really learnt your lesson”.
His Lordship spoke to the increase in this kind of offence in the Federation and suggested that, as it appears, the situation is being taken “very lightly by young persons who seem to think it okay to shoot or shoot at someone when one gets angry”. “Therefore”, he added, “the court’s sentence must reflect its strong disapproval of this type of behaviour.”
Daniel was sentenced to serve 10 years imprisonment with hard labour.
The younger of the two, Warner, also felt the weight of the hammer of justice, notwithstanding the lesser sentence.
Justice Belle noted that Warner, although not the one carrying the gun at the time of the offence, was convicted on the theory of joint enterprise. He said this and the fact that the 20-year-old has no previous convictions earned him a discounted sentence. Nonetheless, “the sentence still has to reflect the court’s response to increase of this kind of crime which has resulted in many wounding and many deaths”.
Warner was sentenced to six years with hard labour.
Meanwhile, an Upper College Street Ghaut resident was convicted of “making use of threatening language” in a lower court.
According to a police press release, Glenville Isles appeared before Her Worship Simone Bullen-Thompson at the Basseterre Magistrate’s Court on December 16 and, following conviction of the May 30, 2009 offence, he was placed on a two-year $3 000 bond. During that period, he is to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
