Alexander and Haripersad released after ‘time served’ for gun possession
K’Shoy Alexander and Richard Haripersad have been released after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm, having already served more time in custody than their final sentences required.
The two, along with Jordan Jackson, were arrested on April 16, 2021, and later pleaded guilty to the charge, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years. However, presiding Judge Rajiv Persad exercised judicial discretion to impose lesser sentences, citing the circumstances of the case.
Alexander and Haripersad were each sentenced to 19 months in prison but were immediately released, having already served 25 and 43 months, respectively. Jackson, who served only 22 days in custody, received a sentence of 15 months and will now serve nine months with the possibility of an earlier release for good behavior.
During sentencing, the judge urged all three young men to avoid any further association with firearms. He also emphasized that while they were charged due to digital footage recovered from the residence of Shameek Grant and Akeem Hopkinson in connection with the Catherine Pickering murder case, there was no evidence linking them to the robbery or shooting.
The footage revealed that while the firearm belonged to Hopkinson, all three young men had only momentary possession of it, except for one, who was merely present in the room at the time.
Judge Persad described the situation as unfortunate but expressed confidence that the young men had learned their lesson. Given the time already served, he determined their immediate release was appropriate.
Jackson, however, will serve his sentence as required, as his case did not align with the precedent set for Alexander and Haripersad, who had spent significantly more time in custody than their sentences required.
Meanwhile, Akeem Hopkinson was sentenced to 32 years in prison for the April 18, 2021, murder of Catherine Pickering.
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Ah yes back out on streets to find more guns and do more crime..
The weight time for a case in the bvi is a complete joke
And the sentencing is an even bigger joke for serious crimes. Guns can take life but it can’t give it back. Y’all keep taking chances with these unruly youths.
They didn’t do anything and the gun wasn’t theirs. They just played with the gun at the residence not on the streets. You can comprehend right? Or you slow?
And knowingly they” played” with an illegal firearm and did they make a report to the authorities their knowledge of the location and owner ..a crime having knowledge in this matter and not reporting it to the authorities.
And DEPORTED???????
“The two, along with Jordan Jackson, were arrested on April 16, 2021, and later pleaded guilty to the charge, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years. However, presiding Judge Rajiv Persad exercised judicial discretion to impose lesser sentences, citing the circumstances of the case.”
This is why these so-called strict gun laws do not work. If a mandatory sentence is in fact not mandatory, people won’t respect the law. In fact, it will have precisely the opposite effect.
“Judge Persad described the situation as unfortunate but expressed confidence that the young men had learned their lesson.” Delusional….
Be back again, but with improved technique. Something needs to be done with repeat offenders. Either increase their time for repeat offense or something else man.
These island man judges looking out for these island people children
Along with the updeislun policemen,teachers,preachers and elected locals with spouse from updeislun abd DR.
These VVI can go mo where but bottom and at their own hands.
The same lesser humanity has been the spoilers from DAY1 but bvi response is th increase and continue with the low hanging fruits. Self destruct and claim
the victim status due to the Whyte man. This is how we do and suffer what’s due praising and begging on our knees to the ” God of our weary Years”.. the same who warns against throwing your Pearls to pigs.
Wait Hopkinson gets 17 years for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and
7 years for possession of a prohibited firearm to run concurrently. That is 24 years and these punks are out in 19 months.
I think the Government need to appeal this sentence and get them locked up for 24 years like other people are.
What a joke?
How are these decisions made?
More all and always young Black male scums with ties to the regurgitated and the demonic beings of the CARICOM. Somehow someway,fingers crossed,the current US Pres will shake out the proliferation of such in these parts via the USVI and PR and affect these VI in such a manner that there will be no choice but change in the ongoing cooptive actions of these VI that is currently enabling these monsters with their illicit
activities.
More all and always young Black male scums with ties to the regurgitated and the demonic beings of the CARICOM. Somehow someway,fingers crossed,the current US Pres will shake out the proliferation of such in these parts via the USVI and PR and affect these VI in such a manner that there will be no choice but change in the ongoing cooptive actions of these VI that is currently enabling these monsters with their illicit
activities.
For some reason you seem to have a hatred for CARICOM citizens. It is unfair that you would categorize people of these countries to be inherently evil and no good, just like it is also unfair that they believe us all to be stupid and lazy. I figure people of either mindset would fit well into the society of The Lottery people…!
Based on their actions and consistent behaviour it has to be inherent…their murder statistics..they murder their bris,and sis bt the v thousands each year according v to there own documented reports. They take it residence in other countries and their neighborhoods are the killing fields…US,Uk,Canada if it walk
like a duck quacks like a duck…consistently deportations from those places as a result of b their savage behaviours..Reality acceptance of such instead of excuses indicates an inherent unchangeable and acceptance tis so dem is can’t change…outsiders and they themselves are resigned evidently to this fact.
“Judge Persad described the situation as unfortunate but expressed confidence that the young men had learned their lesson”
Hope he is the one who feels it when they spin the block.
Are these Gun Men from the BVI?
Why are they not being deported permanently from the Territory.?
Question
The Governor Deported a Woman recently, so why these people who are not from the BVI who are involved in criminal activities are not being deported?