BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - MELVINA KELLY, Jahdell Browne and Alpha 'Raga' Duporte would all have to wait a little longer before knowing their fate, as their sentencing hearing was traversed to the May 2012 sitting of the Criminal Assizes.
The three individuals appeared at the Basseterre, High Court last Thursday (Mar. 30) for sentencing but learned that their matters would have to be postponed to the next Assizes.
Kelly, who had originally pleaded not guilty to the murder of her eight-year-old granddaughter, underwent psychiatric evaluation and was declared fit to stand trial but she later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
The 53-year-old grandmother was charged with the July 11, 2010 killing of her granddaughter, Belisha Edwards.
She was said to have stabbed her granddaughter to death early that morning while the child was vacationing at her Saddlers Village home. Edwards was the daughter of Kelly’s son, Leroy Elliott.
Similarly, Browne had originally pleaded not guilty to the murder of John Napier (75) and Sylvester Harris (37) and also the wounding of Wilfred Simmonds (52), offences he committed on October 25, 2009.
He too underwent psychiatric evaluation and was declared fit to stand trial, but later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Information reaching this media house stated that Napier was attacked on the premises of his Cedar Grove home, Harris was assaulted while in his garden at Parray’s Housing, Upper Monkey Hill and Simmonds was wounded a short distance from there.
The then Police Press and Public Relations Officer, Inspector Cromwell Henry, confirmed that Napier died at his home and Harris succumbed to his injuries at the Joseph N. France Hospital.
On the other hand, Duporte was found guilty of the murder of Dexter ‘Asbal’ Marsham and guilty of two counts of the attempted murder of Royden Gumbs and Jessica Gumbs.
Duporte was convicted of killing Marsham in Godwin Ghaut in the vicinity of his home on July 18, 2009.
During his trial, the prosecution’s witnesses identified Duporte at the scene of the crime and one witness said they saw him standing over Marsham and shot him while he was on the ground.
All three convicts are being represented by Senior Counsels Dr. Henry Browne and Hesketh Benjamin.
