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Journalist Lyf Compton, left, and Shanet Williams. (iWN photos)
Journalist Lyf Compton, left, and Shanet Williams. (iWN photos)
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The woman charged with threatening the life of a journalist in Kingstown last year was found guilty on Thursday, three weeks after her trial ended.

Shanet Williams, of Layou, has become the second person to be convicted this year of a committing a crime against a journalist as a result of his work

However, strong mitigation by her lawyer resulted in Williams being reprimanded and discharged, rather than being fined or even bonded, which the prosecution had said would have also been an appropriate sentence.

Williams was found guilty of threatening journalist Lyf Compton by telling him on Oct. 20, 2017, in Kingstown, “Wait ’til Coco come out. Yo’ go see. Ah go mek he kill yo.”

In his ruling, Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett said that the evidence suggests that there was an exchange of words between Compton and Williams.

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He noted that while both parties had said that at least one other person witnessed the incident, he had only their versions to go by.

The magistrate, however, said that he did not believe that Compton would have filed such a report with police if Williams had not issued the threat.

In mitigation, defence counsel Roderick Jones told the court that his client is a mother of two children and is trying to make ends meet.

He said that people are sometimes careless with their words, but added that threatening language should not be taken lightly.

The lawyer told the court that in the circumstances, it was understandable why Williams had spoken as she had.

Compton, a senior reporter at Searchlight newspaper, told the court that Williams had made the threat to him one after she had confronted him at the Serious Offences Court in Lower Kingstown Park.

During the verbal confrontation, Williams accused Compton of writing a story about her fiancé, Collin “Coco” David, which she said was erroneous.

Compton said he told the woman that he had not written the story about David, who was, at the time, on remand for a gun possession charge.

David was also being questioned in connection with an investigation which led to an attempted murder charge being brought against him.

He was earlier this year jailed for five years for possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

Both Compton and Williams told the court that he told Williams that he had not written the story and they parted ways amicably.

Compton, however, said that the following day, he met Williams on White Chapel Road, Kingstown, and she issued the threat to him.

He further said that the woman told him that if she had had a knife she would have stabbed him.

The journalist admitted, under cross examination, that in response to Williams’ threat, he told her that he has a licensed firearm and would shoot her, if attacked.

Meanwhile, Williams told the court that, on the contrary, it was Compton who accosted her by calling her a demon.

On Feb. 12, Danroy Small, of Campden Park, was ordered to compensate journalist Kenton X. Chance in the sum of EC$500 by March 29 or spend two months in jail after being found guilty of assaulting the journalist on Dec. 18, 2017.

Small assaulted Chance, who is executive editor of iWitness News, by striking him in the face with a bag containing clothing while the journalist was photographing accused persons being escorted to prison.

3 replies on “Court reprimands woman for journalist death threat”

  1. Sandra Small says:

    Kenton you have to take caution doing your good work because it seems as if this is open seasons on journalist in St Vincent for the reason of reporting the truth it happens. That lady should not have gotten away with a caution ,given the unsavory character in Coco Collin David. By now his name cause one’s blood to shiver by just the mention of his name. He has offspring? His seeds be curse forever for causing mayhem in St Vincent.

  2. It becomes necessary for journalist in St Vincent to take martial Arts lessons to defend themselves.

  3. Well a man who was found guilty for drug trafficking have a gun license, ,an people who have business can not get one lol when you have friends in high places

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