Javascript Menu by Deluxe-Menu.com

SKNBuzz Radio - Strictly Local Music Toon Center
My Account | Contact Us  

Our Partner For Official online store of the Phoenix Suns Jerseys

 Home  >  Headlines  >  NEWS
Posted: Tuesday 16 July, 2013 at 10:43 AM

Raga slapped with 35-year prison sentence

Alpha ‘Raga’ Duporte
By: Jenise Ferlance, SKNVibes.com

    BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AFTER waiting for over one year, Alpha ‘Raga’ Duporte was yesterday (Jul. 15) finally handed his prison sentence.

     

    Duporte was convicted of the murder of Dexter ‘Asbal’ Marsham as well as attempted murder and wounding with intent.

    Last Thursday (Jul. 11), at the first phase of his sentencing hearing, Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Sharron Halliday gave the results of her final psychiatric analysis of Duporte at the Basseterre High Court.

    Dr. Halliday told the Court that she met the 27-year-old Rastafarian on two occasions and gave a review of his childhood and adolescent years, as well as the circumstances surrounding his relationship with Marsham.

    She said Duporte had sustained head injuries at the age of four while at a beach and also at age 16 when he fell from a mango tree. She said he did reasonably well in school until he entered the third form.

    Dr. Halliday said that the convict had admitted to having suicidal thoughts as a teenager when he learned that his girlfriend at the time had been unfaithful to him. She also told the Court that he further admitted to smoking marijuana.

    She disclosed that he was introduced to alcohol at the age of eight and continued its consumption until his teenage years when he turned to beer and wine.

    Dr. Halliday stated that Duporte has one son and was raised in a Christian home until he decided to become a Rastafarian.

    The Psychiatrist further stated that Duporte sees himself as an intelligent person and that he likes fishing and farming.

    She said the persons she spoke to described Duporte as one who had always been respectful, humble, trustworthy and honest.

    With regards to Duporte's relationship with the deceased, she disclosed that they met in primary school and became close friends. 

    She said their friendship deteriorated when Duporte's relationship with Marsham's sister was three years old. She said Marsham ended the friendship when Duporte was 19 years old and that he said he had felt an extreme loss over that.

    His mental state, she said, was good as he was found to be well nourished, was neither homicidal nor suicidal and had not been in any altercation while in prison.

    She said when asked about his mood, Duporte said he was sad as he had missed his son. She also said that he tested negative for a number of mental illnesses including Bipolar Disorder, but has features of depression, which he said occurred since his incarceration.

    Dr. Halliday stated that he did not appear to be of low intelligence and he maintains that he is paying for a crime he did not commit, and that he could not feel remorse for the crime because he is innocent.

    Yesterday, when asked if he had anything to say before judgement was passed, Attorney Hesketh Benjamin, who along with Dr. Henry Browne QC had represented Duporte at his trial, rose and told the Court that the matter was in its hands.

    The assessment in Duporte's Social Inquiry Report was read and His Lordship Justice Errol Thomas said that the Court had to deal with the prevalence of murder in the Federation.

    Duporte was then sentenced to 20 years for murder, 10 years for attempted murder and five years for wounding with intent; a total of 35 years.

    However, the sentences would run concurrently and the time he spent on remand would be taken into consideration.

    HISTORY

    On December 5, 2011, Duporte was convicted of the murder of Dexter ‘Asbal’ Marsham which occurred on July 18, 2009 in the vicinity of his home. He was also convicted of attempted murder and wounding with intent.

    Originally, Curtlee ‘2Pac’ Rogers and Duporte were jointly charged for the crime. However, the prosecution withdrew its case against Rogers due to insufficient evidence.

    The prosecution called some14 witnesses to give evidence in the matter but none had taken the stand for the defence after the prosecution had closed its case.

    The prosecution’s witnesses identified Duporte at the scene of the crime and one of them said they had seen Duporte standing over Marsham shooting him while he was on the ground.

    Jessica Gumbs, who said she had just returned home when she heard a commotion up the hill, told the Court that she saw Duporte, whom she had known since he was a baby, standing over Marsham shooting him.

    She was shot in the leg during the ordeal and so was her son Royden Gumbs.

    “No one or nothing was blocking her view; he was not masked; she saw his face. Her evidence strongly supports the fact that Alpha committed the crime,” said Acting Director of Prosecution Rhonda Nisbett-Browne.

    Royden Gumbs said that he was coming out of a shop on the day of the murder and saw “Alpha and his people them”.

    He said they began throwing stones at him and he went down the hill backwards to avoid being hit.

    Another witness, Kyam Veira, said he saw someone who appeared to be Duporte behind a tamarind tree shooting and that he was dressed in a white jersey.

    Marsham’s sister, Jacintha Marsham, who is also the mother of Duporte’s son, said that Duporte went to pick up her son on July 18, 2009 and he was wearing a white jersey, a black tam, black shoes and black or brown pants.

    The evidence from Barbadian Pathologist Dr. Stephen Jones, who performed the post mortem, said that Marsham had five gunshot wounds and he recovered two bullets from his body.

    Defence counsel Dr. Browne asked several questions before ending his closing arguments concerning the case. 

    He asked why only two bullets were found in Marsham’s body if he had five gunshot wounds, where were the casings for the bullets by the tamarind tree from where the witnesses said Duporte was shooting, and he questioned if it were truly only one gun involved the crime.
     
Copyright © 2024 SKNVibes, Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy   Terms of Service