DAILY OBSERVER: The judge who sentenced a teenager to three years in prison for murdering a Syrian businessman has issued stark warnings about youth violence in his written ruling, describing the convicted minor as “a disaster waiting to happen”.
The defendant, who was 16 when he fatally shot the 25-year-old Syrian national during a daylight robbery, received the maximum sentence allowed for a minor. He was already on bail for gun charges when he committed the murder.
In his written judgement, Justice Tunde Bakre expressed deep concern about what he called “the sudden surge in the wave of violent crime being perpetrated by these children” when he sentenced the 18-year-old for the May 2023 killing.
“I am not unaware of the potential danger being unleashed on the society of Antigua and Barbuda with this light sentence passed on this convict,” Justice Bakre stated.
The judge noted that while the law defines such offenders as children, “their acts and deeds are not anywhere near that of a child. They have become a menace to the entire society and something urgently has to be done.”
He emphasized the severity of the situation, stating: “The main essence of government is to protect the citizens and there must be more concerted effort at doing this to rid the society of this impending danger by supporting the youths to make their life more meaningful.”
Justice Bakre called for urgent collaborative government action by the three organs of government – the legislators, the executive and the judiciary – “to immediately nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand”.
The judge’s concerns about the specific defendant were particularly pointed.
Bakre said, “Unless something drastic is done to keep this particular convict in check, he can best be described as a disaster waiting to happen. This young boy does not strike me as a person that has learnt any lesson despite the fact that a life was lost.”
The written ruling reveals troubling details from a Social Inquiry (SI) report. The report described the defendant as “totally unremorseful and indifferent to the situation he has found himself” and noted he was “described as badly behaved and untrustworthy by members of the community”.
According to the SI, the defendant lost his mother at age six and “has really turned to be a menace to the community”. The report blamed his father for not properly caring for the defendant and his 12 siblings, while community members also criticized his grandmother for indulging him despite negative reports.
The court also noted: “Blames were traded between the father and his grandmother on who actually was at fault between them on the way the defendant has turned out; the defendant has totally become a menace to the entire society.”
On the other hand, the victim impact report highlighted the devastating effect on the deceased’s family. The Syrian businessman was described as the breadwinner supporting his family, including a brother who was a medical student. The victim was about to marry his fiancée, whose mental health was severely affected by his death, requiring treatment at a mental facility in Syria.
Justice Bakre concluded with advice to the family: “It is advised that the family members should make every effort to rehabilitate him before the whole issues becomes too late.”
The judge in the end gave the accused the maximum sentence for a minor and ruled that the 550 days that the defendant spent on remand will be deducted from his sentence. Upon release, he faces strict conditions including twice-weekly police station sign-ins and a 7pm to 7am curfew for one year.
His co-accused, who is in his 20s, is still awaiting arraignment in connection with the case.