PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party and Free National Movement parliamentarians offered measured responses to the severe allegations involving one of their colleagues yesterday -- acknowledging the severity of the claims while stressing the MP is entitled to due process.

Elected officials were careful not to defend nor condemn their colleague as the House of Assembly met for the first time yesterday since a woman claimed she was raped and assaulted by a sitting MP, her ex-boyfriend. #Both parties had wrestled internally with how to respond to the explosive allegations but have thus far chosen to be balanced with their public messaging. #“They’re accusations, they’re accusations,” former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday. “Nothing has been proven, everyone is innocent until proven otherwise.” #“I am only surprised that the member has not been called in for questioning. After all, the FNM members were called in for questions, were investigated and dealt with, whether appropriately or not, very quickly. Why hasn’t this particular member been called in? One has to look at that.” #On Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner of Police Bernard “BK” Bonamy confirmed to ZNS police had not yet interviewed the accused. He said police were accumulating additional information before doing so. #Responding to the matter, FNM Deputy Leader Shanendon Cartwright focused on the quality of the police investigation, demanding the same standard be applied to the MP that would be applied to anyone else. #“The opposition underscores that these are very serious allegations,” he said in a statement. “Our parliamentary caucus is watching the matter, as is everyone else. We are a country of laws and everyone should be held to the same standard. #“We will await to hear the outcome as the Royal Bahamas Police Force conducts their investigation. There is, of course, a presumption of innocence in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas but all matters must be treated fairly and all such claims taken seriously by the Royal Bahamas Police Force. #“On the larger issue of violence against women, as a nation, a woman’s right to live free from violence is non-negotiable and those that perpetrate acts of violence on women and girls should find no refuge from public rebuke nor the full brunt of the law.” #FNM leader Michael Pintard declined to comment on the matter. Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis has also not commented. #Echoing the tone of Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, Myles Laroda, the State Minister responsible for National Insurance, said the allegations against the MP ought to be taken seriously. #“Well, I’d like to say this. The allegations are taken seriously, it’s not a trivial matter but I also believe in due process and let the process play out before I comment,” he said yesterday. #“It’s a serious allegation, especially in the climate that we live in, but we also have to respect due process.” #Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg expressed confidence in the Royal Bahamas Police Force to investigate the matter. #“Well, the system has a process, in everything is a process, everything is ongoing,” he said. “I believe that there is quite a lot of confidence in the police to do their investigation thoroughly and properly and the way that it should be done. And when that is finished and said and done then the facts will be revealed, so we just need to allow the process to take its place.” #Parliamentarians with maverick reputations have also offered restrained commentary. #Asked about the matter on Tuesday, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe said: “The RBPF investigates matters, and I don’t interfere with them.” #In a voice note yesterday that made no reference to the allegations against the MP, Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell said: “Here’s some advice for public figures. Hold your head. There’s a time to speak, there’s a time for silence. That’s what the Bible says. Right now, silence is golden.”

Elected officials were careful not to defend nor condemn their colleague as the House of Assembly met for the first time yesterday since a woman claimed she was raped and assaulted by a sitting MP, her ex-boyfriend.

Both parties had wrestled internally with how to respond to the explosive allegations but have thus far chosen to be balanced with their public messaging.

“They’re accusations, they’re accusations,” former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday. “Nothing has been proven, everyone is innocent until proven otherwise.”

“I am only surprised that the member has not been called in for questioning. After all, the FNM members were called in for questions, were investigated and dealt with, whether appropriately or not, very quickly. Why hasn’t this particular member been called in? One has to look at that.”

On Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner of Police Bernard “BK” Bonamy confirmed to ZNS police had not yet interviewed the accused. He said police were accumulating additional information before doing so.

Responding to the matter, FNM Deputy Leader Shanendon Cartwright focused on the quality of the police investigation, demanding the same standard be applied to the MP that would be applied to anyone else.

“The opposition underscores that these are very serious allegations,” he said in a statement. “Our parliamentary caucus is watching the matter, as is everyone else. We are a country of laws and everyone should be held to the same standard.

“We will await to hear the outcome as the Royal Bahamas Police Force conducts their investigation. There is, of course, a presumption of innocence in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas but all matters must be treated fairly and all such claims taken seriously by the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

“On the larger issue of violence against women, as a nation, a woman’s right to live free from violence is non-negotiable and those that perpetrate acts of violence on women and girls should find no refuge from public rebuke nor the full brunt of the law.”

FNM leader Michael Pintard declined to comment on the matter. Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis has also not commented.

Echoing the tone of Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, Myles Laroda, the State Minister responsible for National Insurance, said the allegations against the MP ought to be taken seriously.

“Well, I’d like to say this. The allegations are taken seriously, it’s not a trivial matter but I also believe in due process and let the process play out before I comment,” he said yesterday.

“It’s a serious allegation, especially in the climate that we live in, but we also have to respect due process.”

Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg expressed confidence in the Royal Bahamas Police Force to investigate the matter.

“Well, the system has a process, in everything is a process, everything is ongoing,” he said. “I believe that there is quite a lot of confidence in the police to do their investigation thoroughly and properly and the way that it should be done. And when that is finished and said and done then the facts will be revealed, so we just need to allow the process to take its place.”

Parliamentarians with maverick reputations have also offered restrained commentary.

Asked about the matter on Tuesday, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe said: “The RBPF investigates matters, and I don’t interfere with them.”

In a voice note yesterday that made no reference to the allegations against the MP, Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell said: “Here’s some advice for public figures. Hold your head. There’s a time to speak, there’s a time for silence. That’s what the Bible says. Right now, silence is golden.”

THE murder rate dropped by more than a fifth in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year, according to Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander.

On Monday in Trinidad and Tobago during a two-day symposium on violence in the region, he presented crime statistics showing the 22 percent decline in the Bahamas. #“This far for the year, we have recorded 35 (murders) for the first quarter of the year,” Mr Fernander said. “You could see a decrease to compare with (2022). Around the same time, it was a total of 45, so you could see it decreasing.”  #The latest crime data comes after Allison Thompson, 35, and her 14-year-old daughter Trevorniqua were murdered over the weekend. #Police are again trying to keep the number of murders below 100, a goal that eluded them last year when 128 people were killed. # Commissioner Fernander said police would flood the streets and hot spot areas to tackle crime. # “This far for the year, we have taken over 100 weapons for the first three months of this year. So, what this is telling us is that the streets are flooded with weapons — illegal weapons. That is a problem,” he said.  # He also highlighted emerging crime trends concerning drug and gun smuggling, such as using cargo ships to conceal illegal drugs.  # He showed attendees videos of police confiscating and examining well-sealed weapons in shipment boxes. # Referring to one operation where a large number of drugs were found on a ship, he said: “In the slide, you would see there’s a magnet on the packages that’s under the exhaust and attached to the metal so you have to go up under. With your naked eyes, you would not have been able to see that but our canine (dog) was able to (sniff) that out and found over 60-something kilos of cocaine so this is an emerging trend.” # “I see in Trinidad a lot of cargo ships and oil ships out there so this is something I believe we need to pay attention to as well … and after carefully examining the packages, they had trackers on it so if you steal (drugs, criminals are) able to track exactly where the drugs are and then you end up dead. That’s the emerging trend,” he said. # Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis called the crime statistics presented during the symposium sobering and said they are a stark reminder of the challenges ahead.  #“We must reform our bail policies, review our legal systems, and explore ways to expedite cases while ensuring that the rights of the accused are respected,” he said during the conference’s closing ceremony. “The bloodshed on the streets of the Caribbean is a heart-wrenching tragedy, and we must do everything in our power to put an end to it.” # He said the symposium represented an essential step in fostering greater regional cooperation and developing a united front against crime.   #He insisted that their efforts must not end there, adding: “We must continue to build upon foundations laid during these two days working together to create a comprehensive, cohesive strategy that addresses the root causes of crime and violence in our region.”   #“I welcome Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s call for a comprehensive action plan to be completed in the wake of this symposium. Her proposals, including a CARICOM arrest warrant, rotation of judges, enlargement of magistrates’ jurisdiction, and enhanced forensic cooperation, underscore the need for regional collaboration to improve our legal processes and dismantle criminal networks across our region.”

On Monday in Trinidad and Tobago during a two-day symposium on violence in the region, he presented crime statistics showing the 22 percent decline in the Bahamas.

“This far for the year, we have recorded 35 (murders) for the first quarter of the year,” Mr Fernander said. “You could see a decrease to compare with (2022). Around the same time, it was a total of 45, so you could see it decreasing.” 

The latest crime data comes after Allison Thompson, 35, and her 14-year-old daughter Trevorniqua were murdered over the weekend.

Police are again trying to keep the number of murders below 100, a goal that eluded them last year when 128 people were killed.

Commissioner Fernander said police would flood the streets and hot spot areas to tackle crime.

“This far for the year, we have taken over 100 weapons for the first three months of this year. So, what this is telling us is that the streets are flooded with weapons — illegal weapons. That is a problem,” he said. 

He also highlighted emerging crime trends concerning drug and gun smuggling, such as using cargo ships to conceal illegal drugs. 

He showed attendees videos of police confiscating and examining well-sealed weapons in shipment boxes.

Referring to one operation where a large number of drugs were found on a ship, he said: “In the slide, you would see there’s a magnet on the packages that’s under the exhaust and attached to the metal so you have to go up under. With your naked eyes, you would not have been able to see that but our canine (dog) was able to (sniff) that out and found over 60-something kilos of cocaine so this is an emerging trend.”

“I see in Trinidad a lot of cargo ships and oil ships out there so this is something I believe we need to pay attention to as well … and after carefully examining the packages, they had trackers on it so if you steal (drugs, criminals are) able to track exactly where the drugs are and then you end up dead. That’s the emerging trend,” he said.

Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis called the crime statistics presented during the symposium sobering and said they are a stark reminder of the challenges ahead. 

“We must reform our bail policies, review our legal systems, and explore ways to expedite cases while ensuring that the rights of the accused are respected,” he said during the conference’s closing ceremony. “The bloodshed on the streets of the Caribbean is a heart-wrenching tragedy, and we must do everything in our power to put an end to it.”

He said the symposium represented an essential step in fostering greater regional cooperation and developing a united front against crime.  

He insisted that their efforts must not end there, adding: “We must continue to build upon foundations laid during these two days working together to create a comprehensive, cohesive strategy that addresses the root causes of crime and violence in our region.”  

“I welcome Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s call for a comprehensive action plan to be completed in the wake of this symposium. Her proposals, including a CARICOM arrest warrant, rotation of judges, enlargement of magistrates’ jurisdiction, and enhanced forensic cooperation, underscore the need for regional collaboration to improve our legal processes and dismantle criminal networks across our region.”

ACTIVISTS and a Senator have spoken out following accusations that a woman was raped and assaulted by a sitting Member of Parliament.

The Tribune reported on Monday that a number of accusations have been made by the woman, whose name has been withheld as she is an alleged victim of assault, but who is being referred to by The Tribune under the pseudonym Jane Rolle. #She claimed that the MP raped, choked and struck her and made death threats against her and her family. #Ms Rolle told The Tribune that she had been having difficulty sleeping and was having panic attacks. She also said she had filed a complaint with police on April 7 in Grand Bahama. The Tribune is withholding the name of the MP because he has not been charged with a crime. # Senator Michela Barnett-Ellis called the reports “absolutely horrifying”, adding: “Jane Rolle’s accounts of the alleged statements made by the investigating officers in Grand Bahama underscore the need for all persons to have access to specialised domestic violence units in the police force. Many victims have experienced the same or similar treatment when they have made complaints against their partners. This must end. # “Assault, rape and threats of death are serious offences and they must be investigated as a matter of urgency and with victim sensitivity, whether they happen in or out of a romantic relationship.” # She added: “The alarming rate of violence against women and girls, in The Bahamas, is an indication that we have not done enough and that we must act with urgency to strengthen laws and resources in place to protect the most vulnerable in our community. # “Women are being raped, threatened and murdered by their partners and the Minister of Social Services and Urban Development does not see the urgent need to ‘rush’ to move the Gender-Based Violence bill. We need more protections and resources to combat this scourge of violence against women and girls. # Human Rights Bahamas said they were “extremely disturbed” by the reports, especially that the MP had yet to be interviewed by law enforcement. # In a statement, the group said: “In The Bahamas, anyone accused of committing a crime is to be presumed innocent until proven guilty and this standard applies to each and every individual regardless of race, gender, nationality or social status. Likewise, everyone must receive equal treatment when it comes to the investigation and, if necessary, the prosecution of criminal complaints made against them. # “No one is above the law – this statement should be self-evident in a modern democratic society. Sadly however, in The Bahamas it appears to require constant repetition and reinforcement, especially when powerful members of society are involved. Far too often, the political elite are afforded privileges and advantages when it comes to law enforcement that the average Bahamian will never enjoy.” # The organisation highlighted incidents of “intimidation and coercion” in the past, saying there had been “countless miscarriages of justice as a result of this unacceptable bias in favour of the privileged and connected”. # It said: “That the complainant in this current matter says police attempted to cause her to sign a document waiving her legal rights is therefore concerning, but sadly, not surprising. # “The MP in question should be presumed innocent until proven guilty, but this extremely serious complaint should be investigated without fear or favor, and with the same vigor as would such a complaint against any other member of society.” # HRB called for police to interview the MP “immediately, and with the same rigor, diligence and attention to detail that the Royal Bahamas Police Force reserves for others who are similarly accused. There cannot be one standard for the powerful and another for everyone else”. # The group added: “Finally, the Davis administration has paid much lip service to women’s rights and the fight against gender-based violence. If this posture is to be taken seriously, the government must back up its words with substance publicly to encourage law enforcement to investigate all crimes against women thoroughly and transparently, letting the chips fall where they may.” # Equality Bahamas, meanwhile, called gender-based violence “a public health crisis” and called for the MP to be dismissed by Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis. # The organisation said that reports from the alleged victim “includes actions and inactions by police to impede her access to justice”. # The group added: “The survivor shared numerous effects of the violence she experienced on her physical and mental health. # “Survivors need to be able to confidently and confidentially report gender-based violence, be assured of access to justice, and receive immediate resources and support services, including safe housing and mental healthcare. The Government of The Bahamas must implement the Strategic Plan to Address Gender-Based Violence which has been shelved for several years since being tabled in the House of Assembly in February 2016.” # Director of Equality Bahamas Alicia Wallace said: “Ms Rolle’s is one of many survivor stories that point to corruption, abuse of power, and deliberate protection of violent criminals. In addition to demanding legal reform to promote and uphold women’s human rights, we are demanding our inherent right to equal protection of the law. While no one is above the law, we see, every day, that money and titles make it possible for people to circumvent the law when weak people controlling flawed systems approve it.” # The group cited the obligation of The Bahamas to end gender-based violence against women and girls, adding: In its Concluding Observations in 2018, the CEDAW Committee recommended that the government ensure that the police and courts expeditiously address complaints from women and girls about gender-based violence, and ‘develop an action plan to eliminate discriminatory gender stereotypes, which incite violence against women and girls, and establish monitoring mechanisms to assess the impact of such measures’. It called for adoption of the gender-based violence bill, criminalisation of marital rape, and ensuring cases of gender-based violence are investigated and prosecuted.” # Ms Wallace added: “The Government of The Bahamas voluntarily ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1993. Thirty years later, its failure to come into compliance with the Convention continues. The ratification of CEDAW is a commitment to the people of The Bahamas, to women and girls in particular, made through the United Nations treaty body, and it is accountable to us. Today, Equality Bahamas calls upon the Prime Minister of The Bahamas to immediately dismiss the accused Member of Parliament, rebuke gender-based violence and its perpetrators, and allocate the necessary resources for the implementation of the Strategic Plan to Address Gender-Based Violence as a measure to prevent and intervene in cases of gender-based violence and support the growing number of survivors.”

The Tribune reported on Monday that a number of accusations have been made by the woman, whose name has been withheld as she is an alleged victim of assault, but who is being referred to by The Tribune under the pseudonym Jane Rolle.

She claimed that the MP raped, choked and struck her and made death threats against her and her family.

Ms Rolle told The Tribune that she had been having difficulty sleeping and was having panic attacks. She also said she had filed a complaint with police on April 7 in Grand Bahama. The Tribune is withholding the name of the MP because he has not been charged with a crime.

Senator Michela Barnett-Ellis called the reports “absolutely horrifying”, adding: “Jane Rolle’s accounts of the alleged statements made by the investigating officers in Grand Bahama underscore the need for all persons to have access to specialised domestic violence units in the police force. Many victims have experienced the same or similar treatment when they have made complaints against their partners. This must end.

“Assault, rape and threats of death are serious offences and they must be investigated as a matter of urgency and with victim sensitivity, whether they happen in or out of a romantic relationship.”

She added: “The alarming rate of violence against women and girls, in The Bahamas, is an indication that we have not done enough and that we must act with urgency to strengthen laws and resources in place to protect the most vulnerable in our community.

“Women are being raped, threatened and murdered by their partners and the Minister of Social Services and Urban Development does not see the urgent need to ‘rush’ to move the Gender-Based Violence bill. We need more protections and resources to combat this scourge of violence against women and girls.

Human Rights Bahamas said they were “extremely disturbed” by the reports, especially that the MP had yet to be interviewed by law enforcement.

In a statement, the group said: “In The Bahamas, anyone accused of committing a crime is to be presumed innocent until proven guilty and this standard applies to each and every individual regardless of race, gender, nationality or social status. Likewise, everyone must receive equal treatment when it comes to the investigation and, if necessary, the prosecution of criminal complaints made against them.

“No one is above the law – this statement should be self-evident in a modern democratic society. Sadly however, in The Bahamas it appears to require constant repetition and reinforcement, especially when powerful members of society are involved. Far too often, the political elite are afforded privileges and advantages when it comes to law enforcement that the average Bahamian will never enjoy.”

The organisation highlighted incidents of “intimidation and coercion” in the past, saying there had been “countless miscarriages of justice as a result of this unacceptable bias in favour of the privileged and connected”.

It said: “That the complainant in this current matter says police attempted to cause her to sign a document waiving her legal rights is therefore concerning, but sadly, not surprising.

“The MP in question should be presumed innocent until proven guilty, but this extremely serious complaint should be investigated without fear or favor, and with the same vigor as would such a complaint against any other member of society.”

HRB called for police to interview the MP “immediately, and with the same rigor, diligence and attention to detail that the Royal Bahamas Police Force reserves for others who are similarly accused. There cannot be one standard for the powerful and another for everyone else”.

The group added: “Finally, the Davis administration has paid much lip service to women’s rights and the fight against gender-based violence. If this posture is to be taken seriously, the government must back up its words with substance publicly to encourage law enforcement to investigate all crimes against women thoroughly and transparently, letting the chips fall where they may.”

Equality Bahamas, meanwhile, called gender-based violence “a public health crisis” and called for the MP to be dismissed by Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis.

The organisation said that reports from the alleged victim “includes actions and inactions by police to impede her access to justice”.

The group added: “The survivor shared numerous effects of the violence she experienced on her physical and mental health.

“Survivors need to be able to confidently and confidentially report gender-based violence, be assured of access to justice, and receive immediate resources and support services, including safe housing and mental healthcare. The Government of The Bahamas must implement the Strategic Plan to Address Gender-Based Violence which has been shelved for several years since being tabled in the House of Assembly in February 2016.”

Director of Equality Bahamas Alicia Wallace said: “Ms Rolle’s is one of many survivor stories that point to corruption, abuse of power, and deliberate protection of violent criminals. In addition to demanding legal reform to promote and uphold women’s human rights, we are demanding our inherent right to equal protection of the law. While no one is above the law, we see, every day, that money and titles make it possible for people to circumvent the law when weak people controlling flawed systems approve it.”

The group cited the obligation of The Bahamas to end gender-based violence against women and girls, adding: In its Concluding Observations in 2018, the CEDAW Committee recommended that the government ensure that the police and courts expeditiously address complaints from women and girls about gender-based violence, and ‘develop an action plan to eliminate discriminatory gender stereotypes, which incite violence against women and girls, and establish monitoring mechanisms to assess the impact of such measures’. It called for adoption of the gender-based violence bill, criminalisation of marital rape, and ensuring cases of gender-based violence are investigated and prosecuted.”

Ms Wallace added: “The Government of The Bahamas voluntarily ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1993. Thirty years later, its failure to come into compliance with the Convention continues. The ratification of CEDAW is a commitment to the people of The Bahamas, to women and girls in particular, made through the United Nations treaty body, and it is accountable to us. Today, Equality Bahamas calls upon the Prime Minister of The Bahamas to immediately dismiss the accused Member of Parliament, rebuke gender-based violence and its perpetrators, and allocate the necessary resources for the implementation of the Strategic Plan to Address Gender-Based Violence as a measure to prevent and intervene in cases of gender-based violence and support the growing number of survivors.”

A MAN convicted of having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Maurice Reynolds was convicted of the crime in October after six witnesses, including the complainant and her mother, testified that he had unlawful sex with the girl when he was 23 years old and married. #Justice Camille Darville Gomez wrote in her ruling: “The (virtual complainant) testified that on 11th September, 2020 she walked through the track road to visit the convict’s wife and was informed that she was over at his mother’s home. She waited there for about 10 minutes and testified that he (sic) convict pushed her onto the mattress, placed her on her stomach, spread her legs, pulled down his pants and hers, and then inserted his penis into her vagina. During this time, she stated that she was crying and screaming but the convict covered her mouth with his hands. The VC’s evidence is that the encounter lasted for about 10 minutes and when he was finished, he told her to get dressed and go home.” # In pushing for substantial punishment, prosecutors asked the judge to consider the age of the virtual complainant, the age difference between her and Reynolds, the forceful rape of the girl, the emotional damage she experienced, the prevalence of unlawful sexual intercourse offences in the country, and Reynolds’ failure to show remorse for his action. #Prosecutors acknowledged the mitigating factors included Reynolds’ lack of previous convictions and a probation report showing loved ones highly regard him. #“The Crown’s argument is that the aggravating factors immensely outweigh the mitigating factors in this matter and as such the convict, Maurice Reynolds should receive a custodial sentence ranging between 7 - 10 years,” the ruling said. #Reynold’s lawyers asked the judge to consider his age, his lack of criminal history, the favourable probation report, his wife’s recent death, and the fact that he has a dependent one-year-old child. #According to the probation report, people who know the convict, such as Pastor Bevelyn Lewis, described him as respectful, hard-working, generous and quiet. #The judge ruled: “Having regard to the maximum sentence possible of life imprisonment, which would be reserved for repeat prolific offenders with aggravating features, and a low end of a non-custodial sentence, which I have already indicated is not an appropriate sentence, I believe that Mr. Reynolds has the ability to become a contributing member of the society. #“Accordingly, in the circumstances, I find that an appropriate sentence …would be four year.”

Maurice Reynolds was convicted of the crime in October after six witnesses, including the complainant and her mother, testified that he had unlawful sex with the girl when he was 23 years old and married.

Justice Camille Darville Gomez wrote in her ruling: “The (virtual complainant) testified that on 11th September, 2020 she walked through the track road to visit the convict’s wife and was informed that she was over at his mother’s home. She waited there for about 10 minutes and testified that he (sic) convict pushed her onto the mattress, placed her on her stomach, spread her legs, pulled down his pants and hers, and then inserted his penis into her vagina. During this time, she stated that she was crying and screaming but the convict covered her mouth with his hands. The VC’s evidence is that the encounter lasted for about 10 minutes and when he was finished, he told her to get dressed and go home.”

In pushing for substantial punishment, prosecutors asked the judge to consider the age of the virtual complainant, the age difference between her and Reynolds, the forceful rape of the girl, the emotional damage she experienced, the prevalence of unlawful sexual intercourse offences in the country, and Reynolds’ failure to show remorse for his action.

Prosecutors acknowledged the mitigating factors included Reynolds’ lack of previous convictions and a probation report showing loved ones highly regard him.

“The Crown’s argument is that the aggravating factors immensely outweigh the mitigating factors in this matter and as such the convict, Maurice Reynolds should receive a custodial sentence ranging between 7 - 10 years,” the ruling said.

Reynold’s lawyers asked the judge to consider his age, his lack of criminal history, the favourable probation report, his wife’s recent death, and the fact that he has a dependent one-year-old child.

According to the probation report, people who know the convict, such as Pastor Bevelyn Lewis, described him as respectful, hard-working, generous and quiet.

The judge ruled: “Having regard to the maximum sentence possible of life imprisonment, which would be reserved for repeat prolific offenders with aggravating features, and a low end of a non-custodial sentence, which I have already indicated is not an appropriate sentence, I believe that Mr. Reynolds has the ability to become a contributing member of the society.

“Accordingly, in the circumstances, I find that an appropriate sentence …would be four year.”