A 29-YEAR-OLD Redemption Sharpes resident who apparently confessed the crime of murder to his cellmates was yesterday sentenced to spend a total of 45 years in prison for the offence.

Mwata Henry went through a full trial at the High Court after he maintained his innocence to the crime of shooting fellow Redemption Sharpes resident Jahbarry Charles, and causing his death.

At the end of his trial, on May 5, the jury found Henry guilty.

Approximately four other persons were shot on the night of Charles’ death, January 24, 2018. While this resulted in Henry also receiving multiple charges of attempted murder, only one of these individuals attended the preliminary inquiry at the lower court. In the end, the 29-yearold faced only the murder charge.

According to the evidence presented by the prosecution, represented by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Karim Nelson and crown counsel Rose-Ann Richardson, Charles was in the company of his friends at the Redemption Sharpes pavilion on the night of his death and he was celebrating his birthday.

Sometime between 7:30 and 8pm shots rang out, hitting many of the participants, including Charles who was found wounded and lying in a nearby banana field.

He did not make it through the night and died at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital(MCMH).

Henry was arrested by the police that night on suspicion but was released after 48 hours as there was insufficient evidence.

Nevertheless, on March 5, 2018, Henry was back in police custody on unrelated matters and was placed in a cell with three persons including two long time friends, an acquaintance and a Barbadian national.

During the night of March 5, in conversation with his cellmates, Henry apparently told them everything that happened on January 24. He is said to have told them that he and his “boys” rolled up and killed Charles because Charles supposedly had taken a “work” to kill him (Henry). The Barbadian national having heard this felt obligated to tell the authorities what he heard, and he did so, leading to Henry being arrested on charged on March 19, 2018.

The Redemption Sharpes resident was represented by an attorney during his case, as are all on charges of murder. However, on Friday, May 20, he told Justice Brian Cottle that he wanted to mitigate for himself.

“And you’re ready to do that today?” the Justice asked him, to which he replied that he was.

“Now the thing about it is the charge that you faced is a serious and I do not allow persons to represent themselves without legal assistance in this matter. Now I can’t compel you to keep your relationship with your former legal representative but I’m going to ask him to remain in the courtroom while you proceed with your mitigation, do you understand?” the Justice said.

Henry replied that he understood.

Henry started by giving his name, address and age to the court, seemingly in a similar format to what many defence attorneys use when addressing courts in mitigation on behalf of their clients.

“At this point in time of mere age I never one day yet get a record with these sort of nature of crime. My previous conviction is over six years ago for possession of Marijuana,” he submitted.

Cottle informed him that if this was the case that would mean that he would be considered as having no record.

Henry continued, “My lord I’ve been found guilty, my hands are clean of crime. As a court of justice, I’m asking your honourable court if I should, which I know is up to you still but I’m asking the court to not sentence me – as an innocent man your honour.”

He concluded by indicating that this was the extent of his mitigation.

Nonetheless, Cottle asked him more questions in the way of pertinent information to his sentencing.

Therefore, it came to light that Henry is the father of a 12-yearold daughter, resided in Redemption Sharpes for his whole life and did so with his mother.

When asked if he would like for anyone to appear as a character witness on his behalf, the prisoner asked “My lord if my mom could come up here and say one or two words that would be fine with me.”

His mother was in the courtroom that morning and when this happened she soon began crying with some mixed emotions on her face.

She took a slow ascent to the witness box, and affirmed to tell the whole truth.

Henry’s mother informed that she has six children, and that Henry is the youngest, as well as the youngest of three sons.

Her son did not have any particular questions to ask her but just wanted her to tell the court how he was from a young age growing up.

“…He been a little bit stubborn when he was young. He then go out there with friends..I I can’t say what he do from what he ain do because I wasn’t there, I don’t know,” his mother said.

She informed that she always spoke to him and told him not to go out there, and warned him that he would get convicted for things he didn’t do.

“He never really disrespect me, even self I lash him,” she also noted.

She reiterated that she didn’t know what he did when he went out but also relayed that persons told her that the mother of the deceased was told it wasn’t Henry who killed her son.

After his mother’s contribution Henry was asked if there was anything else, and he requested, “If it fair or it pleasing to the deceased mom I would like she to come in the box and say something on my behalf because everybody knows me well and knows the character of me so I don’t really running from that fact there. So if she could come up here and say something towards the court concerning mitigation and if she please” The court determined that the mother of the deceased was present. However when she stood, the deceased’s mother indicated that she did not want to say anything and had already spoken in a victim impact statement.

The Justice took the weekend to consider all that had been said in mitigation before delivering his sentence yesterday, May 23.

The sentence is done by use of the sentencing guidelines of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court(ECSC).

When all was weighed the final sentence was 45 years in prison. There was no discount as Henry did not enter a guilty plea.

The time that he already spent behind bars up to this day was four years, two months and six days.

When this was subtracted the court determined that the prisoner had 40 years, nine months and 24 days remaining to spend incarcerated.