14-year-old girl jailed for murder in St. Vincent

The 14-year-old girl who 18 months ago stabbed and killed a 15-year-old student over an article of clothing in Lowmans Hill has been jailed for 12 years.

She will spend at least six years behind bars, but will not be kept among the general population of Her Majesty’s Prison.

Further, she will be allowed to continue her education.

The Vincentian newspaper reported last week on the outcome of the story that iWitness News broke two years ago.

Their report from Friday, Dec. 23, 2016, on the outcome of the case is republished below, with permission.

Student Jailed For Murder

Fri, Dec 23, 2016

A 12-year-old female student who used a knife to stab another student to death, June 18, 2015, was last week sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, at the Court’s pleasure, for murder.

But the student will continue her schooling while in prison. She is not being kept among the prison population at Her Majesty’s Prisons.

The accused, now 14, who was already being schooled while in custody on remand, had pleaded guilty to murder on November 30, this year, and a date was set for sentencing hearing.

Justice Kathy Ann Latchoo handed down the penalty at the sentencing hearing on December 13, during the High Court Criminal Assizes.

The girl’s guilty plea earned her a one-third discount on her sentence which would take it down to about eight years.

Justice Latchoo ordered that she receive periodic reviews and that she continue her schooling during incarceration.

The Ministry of Education is to provide the court with reports on the girl’s progress, at the periodic reviews, while the prison authorities will provide the court with reports on her conduct.

The order of the court is that she spend a minimum of six years behind bars.

A social inquiry report prepared by the Family Affairs Division, recommended professional counselling for an extended period. The report had also stated that the accused expressed remorse for her action.

At the time of the offence, the accused student had just completed the CPEA to gain entry to a secondary school.

Acting Chief Education Officer Beverly Neptune told the Court that since the girl’s incarceration, she had completed her Form 1 schooling and is currently receiving second form level teaching.

The facts of the case revealed that the accused who was a Grade 6 primary school student, and the victim, a 15-year-old secondary school student, were once friends and lived within walking distance of each other’s homes. In time, however, their relationship deteriorated. One issue of contention had to do with an item of clothing belonging to the victim, which was in possession of the accused.

By June 18, 2015, the girls were no longer on speaking terms.

That very afternoon, the accused and a young male companion, with two knives in their possession, went to the area of the victim’s home. The victim was upstairs in her porch overlooking the road.

On arrival, an exchange of words ensued between the two girls. The victim demanded the return of a ‘jumper’, and there was a lot of vituperative language.

The accused challenged her former friend to come into the road.

The victim proceeded from where she was to where the accused and her male companion were in the road, saying, “Girl, you think I fraid you?”

There was a short scuffle between them, during which the accused delivered the fatal stab to the victim’s chest. The knife blade was concealed on the accused prior to the incident and, therefore, the victim may not have been aware that she was armed with a knife.

Having received the stab wound, the victim exclaimed, “Alyo watch dey, she stab me! Wah dey, the girl stab me!”

The victim’s sister came down from the house, confronted the accused and wrestled the knife from her.

When the victim’s sister asked the accused, what “stupidness” she did, she replied, “Leave me alone.”

The victim fell to the ground, and assistance was sought to take her to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

An autopsy showed she died from a single stab wound to the chest.

Attorneys Israel Bruce and Samantha Robertson represented the accused, while Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Colin Williams and Crown Counsel Tammika Mc Kenzie appeared for the crown.

This is first time in this country’s history that someone that young was charged, convicted and jailed for murder.

15-y-o student dies after being stabbed, allegedly by primary school girl