Senior Reporter
derek.achong@guardian.co.tt
Two men from Point Fortin, who admitted to killing an 83-year-old neighbour who allegedly molested a 12-year-old girl they knew, are expected to be released from prison in a little over three years.
Brandon Hosein and Joel Archargee had been awaiting trial for the pensioner’s murder since 2013 before they were allowed to plead guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter by provocation last month, based on a plea agreement with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
In sentencing the duo on Wednesday, High Court Judge Mauriceia Joseph-Patrick accepted the starting point of 25 years in prison, which was jointly agreed to by the duo’s lawyers and state prosecutors in the agreement.
Justice Joseph-Patrick then gave a three-year discount based on the fact that they were 18 and 19 years old at the time of the killing, their remorse and their explanation for their actions.
She also considered that they did not breach the prison rules while awaiting trial for over a decade, with Hosein serving as an orderly by helping serve meals and doing general maintenance.
She then gave a one-third discount, leaving a remaining sentence of 14 years and eight months.
As the duo had spent over 11 and a half years awaiting trial, they were left with a little more than three years to serve before they could be released.
The duo was accused of murdering Stephen Lee in February 2013.
Lee went missing on February 25 and his body was found under a pile of tyres in Santa Flora the following day. An autopsy revealed that his trachea (windpipe) had been severed.
The duo was arrested shortly after when their friend contacted the police.
The friend claimed that he picked up the duo in his car and took one of them to collect some money.
He claimed that the men asked him to stop while they were driving through Cap-de-Ville.
He alleged that they got out and attacked a man, who was seated in his car at the side of the road. They then got into the car and drove away.
When they were arrested, the men admitted that they killed Lee but claimed that they did not plan to do so.
“The plan was never to kill the man. It was just to beat him up and take de car,” Archargee said.
They claimed that they were angry when they found out that Lee had sexually assaulted the girl they knew.
They claimed that they forced Lee to drive to the location where his body was eventually found and they restrained and beat him before Hosein chopped him on his neck.
Prosecutors also presented a statement from the girl, who confirmed that Lee had molested her and that her mother did not report him to the police after she told her of the abuse.
Michelle Ali and Shuzvon Ramdass of the Public Defenders’ Department (PDD) represented Hosein, and Nicholas Rampersadsingh and Aleena Ramjag of the PDD represented Archargee.
The DPP’s office was represented by Brandon Sookoo.
