Derek Achong
Senior Reporter
derek.achong@guardian.co.tt
Two men, who admitted to killing a man from Siparia in a botched robbery in 2015, have been sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Keon “Dougla” Fabien, 32, and 29-year-old Dillon “Strongy” Maharaj, are expected to be released in a little under ten years, as the eight years and four months they spent on remand before they were able to enter a plea agreement with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in July, was deducted from their sentence.
The duo was initially charged with murdering 32-year-old mechanic Zwade Taylor, of Sudama Alley, Quarry Village, Siparia, on December 31, 2015.
Taylor was reportedly walking to his sister’s home to attend a New Year’s Eve party when a car pulled alongside him and the occupants attempted to rob him.
He resisted and was shot several times.
Taylor was able to stumble to his sister’s home before going unconscious.
He was taken to the Siparia District Health Facility where he was pronounced dead.
Shortly after Taylor died, Fabien was arrested by police officers, who were investigating the kidnapping and carjacking of a taxi driver which occurred earlier that night.
The taxi driver was plying his car for hire in Fyzabad when he was allegedly stopped by Maharaj.
Maharaj asked the driver to take him to pick up his girlfriend in Siparia but when he arrived at the location he was attacked by two men, who were waiting at the side of the road.
Maharaj and the two men took the driver to a remote location where they robbed him of cash and jewellery and tied his hands and feet using his shoelaces.
The men then left in his vehicle, which they allegedly used to attempt to rob Taylor shortly after.
Maharaj was arrested less than a week later.
Both Fabien and Maharaj admitted that they tried to rob Taylor but gave varying accounts of what transpired as they accused each other of shooting him.
They were both charged with Taylor’s murder and for robbing and kidnapping the driver.
Based on the plea agreement, the duo was allowed to plead guilty to felony murder.
Under the felony murder rule, the mandatory death penalty for murder is waived in circumstances where death occurs during the commission of a lesser criminal offence, which in most cases is robbery.
In the agreement, the duo’s lawyers and State prosecutors suggested a starting sentence of 27 years for murder and ten years each for kidnapping and robbery.
Late last week, the agreement and joint sentence recommendations were accepted by High Court Judge Nalini Singh.
In sentencing the duo, Justice Singh applied a one-third discount on the sentences based on the duo’s guilty pleas.
As Justice Singh ordered the sentences to be served concurrently, the men only have to serve the remainder of the highest sentence before they can be released.
Fabien was represented by Whitney Franklin and Shuzvon Ramdass, of the Public Defenders’ Department (PDD), while Maharaj was represented by Michelle Ali and Jeron Paul, also of the PDD.
The case was prosecuted by Rebecca Trim-Wright and Kezia Gray-Birkette.