Senior Reporter
derek.achong@guardian.co.tt
A woman and two men have been sentenced for their roles in the murder of a 69-year-old man of Gasparillo, who was killed during a botched robbery over a decade ago.
In July, last year, Natalie King, Anthony Allemany and Neil Slater pleaded guilty to felony murder based on a plea agreement with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) but were only sentenced by High Court Judge Hayden St Clair-Douglas on Wednesday.
Under the felony murder rule, the mandatory death penalty for murder is waived in circumstances where death results during the commission of a lesser criminal offence, which in most cases is robbery.
Justice St Clair-Douglas began with varying starting sentences for the trio based on their roles in the murder of Andre Joachim.
He applied minor discounts for Allemany and Slater as he noted that they had one and no disciplinary infractions, respectively, while on remand awaiting trial.
King did not similarly benefit as Justice St Clair-Douglas noted she had 17 infractions against her.
“Prisoners need to understand that their conduct while incarcerated will be taken into consideration,” Justice St Clair-Douglas said.
After applying a one-third discount for their guilty pleas and deducting the time they spent in prison before pleading guilty, King was left with a six-year-and-three-month sentence.
Allemany still has five years and seven months to serve, while Slater will be released in one year and seven months.
Joachim was found dead at his home at Springland, Gasparillo, on June 29, 2012, by police officers who responded to a report of a robbery at the location made by a woman.
Hours earlier, Joachim’s daughter received a call from the same woman, who claimed that he was murdered by bandits during a robbery.
Joachim’s body was found in his bedroom. His hand and feet were bound and he was gagged.
An autopsy found that he died of asphyxia due to manual strangulation.
Several days after Joachim’s body was found, a senior homicide detective received a call from King, who confessed that she was involved.
King claimed that she made a plan with Allemany, Slater and an unnamed man, who was never arrested and charged, to rob Joachim, who had previously employed her friend as a cleaner.
King admitted that she responded to a newspaper advertisement Joachim had placed and agreed to go home with him after they met and shared a meal at a popular fast food outlet near his home.
Allemany, Slater, the other man and a driver hired by Slater followed them to Joachim’s home.
She claimed that she and Joachim drank wine, listened to music and watched pornography before they agreed to go to the bedroom to have sex.
She admitted that before going with Joachim, she secretly unlocked the front door so her accomplices could enter later.
She claimed that Allemany and the unnamed man entered soon after with Slater and the driver remaining outside.
The men restrained Joachim and beat him as they demanded that he reveal the location of his cash and licensed firearm.
She admitted that Joachim went unconscious after the man choked him during the interrogation.
They all left after informing Slater of what transpired.
When Allemany and Slater were arrested they both corroborated King’s version of the events.
Like King, both men also claimed that they never intended or agreed to kill Joachim.
King was represented by Shane Patience and Shaunelle Hamilton while Adapia Trancuso-Ribero and Renee Atwell represented Allemany.
Slater was represented by Delicia Helwig-Robertson and Darryl Douglas. The DPP’s Office was represented by Rhea Libert.
