Kenrick Tyson was given a life sentence on Wednesday for the murder of Cecil James in May 2009 in Concorde
On April 27, 2015 a nine member mixed jury found 33- year-old Tyson guilty of murdering James.
Tyson was previously tried and found guilty of the offense but on appeal the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial after upholding that numerous errors by the trial Judge rendered the conviction “unsafe.”
In mitigating his lawyer, Wayne Norde asked the court to “temper justice with mercy”.
“This case at bar is not the worst of the worst in our jurisdiction,” he stated. “I don’t think the court places much emphasis on rehabilitation in sentencing.”
Tyson, he told the court, has been incarcerated since 2009 and so has had time to “reflect” and has “accepted that what he did was wrong.”
The convicted murderer, he disclosed, had a rough and troubled young life and did not have a good relationship with his mom and dad and had to be cared for by his grandmother and so he needed another chance in life.
“My Lord, I ask you to give him a second chance in life so he can reflect and think,” Norde said. “Society has failed him and some of us, he was abused emotionally and physically at a very early age. Every dog deserves a second bite and so he also. People learn at different stages.”
While agreeing that the aggravating factors outweighs the mitigating factors, Norde said that Tyson is remorseful for his actions, is young and also has young kids.
Before passing sentence, Justice Errol Thomas said that Cecil James was beaten with a piece of wood and left to die in a “pool of blood.”
He also zeroed in on a social inquiry report of the probation officer which he labeled as “comprehensive”.
The report detailed several interviews with people of the community including Tyson’s mother, the wife and daughter of the deceased. Villagers felt that Tyson should “pay for his crime” and he has also not shown “any remorse”.
“He continues to say that he is innocent of the crime and feels bad that he was found guilty,” the report stated.
Tyson has 27 previous convictions, including 17 for theft while others are possession of firearm, possession of cannabis and escaping lawful custody, among others.
Justice Thomas was not complimentary in his comments before passing sentence. “There comes a time when you have to take stock of your life, no one can do that for you …what second chance can there be?” he asked.
He continued, “Kenrick Tyson, your actions were violent and brutal, you inflicted several blows to his (James) head, he did not get a chance to ask God to help him, he died alone,” he remarked. “That was brutal, you deserve no mercy and I see no circumstance to warrant the court to temper justice with mercy, the sentence of the court is life in jail.”
Justice Thomas also took time out to commend the jury, calling them “intellectually skilled” for their line of questions and he hoped that they will be brought back to serve soon as jurors. He also praised investigating officer Inspector Riviere and also sergeant Constance Cuffy for his manner of evidence in the matter.
If Tyson has a rape case pending he is where he belongs.
To God be the Glory
p[;’To his defence team. I do not know what you meant when you asked the judge to temper mercy with justice. What you should have done before wasting the court’s time was was get him to PLEA to a lesser charge, get him to publicly appolgize to the court and to the deseased family, then you could have asked the judge for mercy on behalf of your client. If what I am reading on DNO is correct this man should have been sentenced to life without the possibliuty of parole. He has had 27 convictions, and according to DNO he is awaiting trial for a rape. If your client was really REMORSEFUL, he would not have said that he was found guilty while being innocent. He is full of crap, and while he may have spent his life’s saving paying you to defend him. you could have done better. There are times when a crime is commited, that may not have been the intent of the aggressor, but you do not consistently hit a human being on his head even after he is helpless and walk away, what do you expect?
Murder. I don’t see how some people find it so easy. To take a life?? How can you sleep? Don’t you become haunted by the faces and voices of the lives you destroyed? I don’t ever want to know what its like. When I become a millionaire, I am building a bigger prison.
Judge Thomas said it all and well.
I wondered what sentence was he given. I hope he spends life.
We must think and take seriously that those who murder deserve to be severely punished. They have taken a life, never to be restored. This is the hard part of it. Consider when we lose loved ones naturally and how we feel. It is worst for those who die unnaturally.
We must specifically pray that crimes of any nature are either decreased or eliminated. I would love to know that D/ca is free of such crimes.
It is shocking to know that there have been so many murders and other crimes in D/ca. Shall I state that this is the price we pay for progress and so-call modern-day era? Well, the situation is not good.
In bygone years Dominica was a safer place. Nationals were a happier lot and feared less.
I grew up in Dominica, happy as a lark with no fear. It is not so today. I would love to see that part of the good old days restored and also for children.
Good riddance to him. One less murderer on the street. Enjoy your time in Stockfarm. The sweet boys are waiting for you in there. Have fun.
Pray for our country Domininca because Tyson have a rape case pending also
The law is unjust!! I think that his accomplis, Nasha Daniel should be sentence to prison as well.
I hope they don’t release him after 10 ten years, citing ”good behaviour.” We have the case of Fagan Jno. Hope and see what he has done after being released.
you know Dominican prisons should be like some American prisons where child rapists turn up dead in jail…
He’s not a child rapist (or maybe he is that too and we didn’t know it)….He is a murderer. Neither one is accepable! But thank GOD they stayed his sentence. Hope you have a wonderful head bashing day every you are in prison!
who that?, referring to your last sentence and referring to my comment thought generated fingers typed lol
Down through the ages to today, there are many who were/are child rapists that we do not know about.
Canada too. Some have died in this manner. This is why they are kept isolated.
As bad as prisoners could be, their ethic is, do not molest/rape and murder children.
You wonder why God is so merciful? Everyone has something good and bad in them.