Judge Raises Concern Over Gun Violence Impact, Sentences Manslayer in Family Tragedy

A judge has expressed concern over the devastating impact of gun violence in the country, noting that too many young lives have been lost and many others ruined as a result of illegal firearms.

Madam Justice Pamela Beckles commented as she handed down a 15-year starting sentence on manslayer Renaldo Stevenson Kirkley Carter for the shooting death of his cousin, Jason Antoine Carter on January 1, 2015.

The 41-year-old of 1st Avenue, Vauxhall, Christ Church had been charged with murdering his relative but a 12-member jury found him guilty of manslaughter when he went on trial in the No. 5 Supreme Court with defence attorney Marlon Gordon representing him. Principal State Counsel Olivia Davis and State Counsel Eleazar Williams were the prosecutors.

“A particularly worrying aspect of [this] case . . . is the ease with which persons are able to access firearms in this island,” Justice Beckles said as she handed down the judgment on Thursday. “How were you able to access the firearm in question? Too many young lives have been lost as a result and too many other lives have been ruined as a consequence.” From the evidence given during the trial, the cousins resided next to each other in family homes. On the morning of New Year’s Day 2015, before the deadly shooting occurred, there was a dispute between the two over breakfast cereal. The convicted Carter stated that his cousin snatched the food item from him, saying that he was using too much without paying anything, and slapped and pushed him around.

Justice Beckels stated that the aggravating features of the offence were the fact that a life was lost, the use of a firearm, that the incident took place in the vicinity of the victim’s home and therefore would be a constant reminder to the family, the impact of the crime on the family, and the prevalence of such offences in society.

However, the judge noted that Carter had previous convictions, though not of a violent nature, and a high risk of reoffending, as pointed out in a presentence report.

Going in the manslayer’s favour were his mental health challenges and the delay in having the matter adjudicated.

“You will be 42 years old later this year, the deceased . . . was also about the same age. You still have a future; sadly, he does not,” the judge told the convict who was diagnosed with schizophrenia which can be controlled with medication. “This incident has had a terrible and traumatic impact upon the family, they have suffered greatly and have been through what can only be described as a horrible ordeal. Family relationships have been affected and . .. fractured as a result of this incident . . . . The jury has obviously accepted that your actions were not premeditated . . . .” Taking the mitigating factors into account, the judge then deducted three years from the starting 15-year sentence, leaving Carter with 12 years.

From that time, the 3 386 days he spent on remand at Dodds was deducted, leaving him with 994 more days to serve behind bars.