After several days before the Anguilla High Court, sitting in its criminal jurisdiction, a case of murder ended on Monday afternoon, February 18, with Justice Janice George-Creque handing down a sentence of life-imprisonment for 18-year-old Delano Smith. He was found guilty by the Jury who presented their 8 to 1 verdict to the court.

In sentencing Smith, the Judge repeatedly described the killing of Clifford Christie Jr as a heinous crime.

The indictment against Smith by the Attorney General’s Chambers stated that he caused the death of Christie on November 10, 2006.

The incident occurred following a football match at the Webster Park Annex.

According to a court document, Smith was charged with inflicting four stab wounds in the abdomen, back and shoulder area of Christie’s body causing his death.

Smith was defended by Lawyers Thomas Astaphan and Colin Raymeade. Mr. Astaphan said his Chambers intends to file an appeal against the Jury’s verdict and a constitutional motion challenging the mandatory life sentence.

Meanwhile, at the weekly police press briefing on Wednesday, February 20, Deputy Commissioner, Illidge Richardson, thanked several persons who assisted the police in their investigations into the murder incident. “By their coming forward we were able to get a conviction and the person found guilty is now in Her Majesty’s Prison,” Mr. Richardson stated. “Members of the public who see things and are afraid to report to the police have no need to be fearful, because as long as their testimony before the Court is true, the Jury will be there to evaluate what you say and their responsibility is either to find the person guilty or not guilty. In this case Delano Smith was found guilty by the Jury and was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Judge.”

The senior police official spoke about the results of violence and hoped that the sentencing of Smith had sent a message to other young people in Anguilla.

In another matter, the Deputy Commissioner reported that in the Magistrate’s Court Kevin Carty of Blowing Point was found guilty of possession of cannabis and cocaine. He was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment to run concurrently. Mr. Richardson also thanked members of the public who passed on information to the police.

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