The psychotic man, who, in 2008, hacked an elderly woman to death, drove around with her body in her car for hours before burying the body at a cemetery has been sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Junior Quashie, of Belair, was facing 36 years in jail for his crime.
However, because of his guilty plea, he received a one-third discount on his sentence, seeing it fall to 24 years.
As Quashie had spent 10 years, 10 months, and eight days on remand as of last Friday — when he was sentenced — he will spend a further 13 years, one month and three weeks in jail.
Justice Brian Cottle sentenced Quashie at the High Court in Kingstown on Friday.
Quashie pleaded guilty on Feb. 14, 2019 to a charge that in April 2008, he murdered Lorna Allen-Small, 73, of Queen’s Drive.
Asked if he had anything to say before being sentenced, Quashie told the court that had he “finished my education, I wouldn’t have looked like a fool, the court wouldn’t have made me look like a fool.
“My thought is that you would be mindful and thoughtful and have mercy or leniency on me. Because, ahhhh — that’s all I have to say.”
The facts in the case are that in April 2008, Allen-Small, a retired librarian who lived alone at Queen’s Drive, drove her car to Indian Bay and sat in the car reading a book for a while before coming out of the vehicle.
Quashie, who was nearby, decided to rob the elderly woman of the car, approached her and demanded the keys.
The woman refused and tried to get back into the car and Quashie slammed the door on her hand, breaking it.
He cut her on the neck with a knife that he was carrying.
As Allen-Small was lying on the ground, he went over her and cut her neck again.
He then opened the back of the car where he saw a bucket and some plastic sheeting.
Quashie used the plastic sheeting to wrap the woman’s body and placed it in the back of the car.
He used the bucket to get some water and washed the bloodstains from the back of the vehicle.
Quashie then drove away with Allen-Small’s body in the back of the car and drove away the vehicle.
Sometime later, while driving the woman’s vehicle, Quashie saw the fuel indicator light come on, showing he was low on fuel.
By that time, it was already near the following morning.
Quashie drove to the Belair cemetery where he dug a shallow grave and buried the body of his victim.
Before that time, relatives of the victim had already discovered that she was missing and had reported the matter to the police.
Police went in search of Allen-Small and found her car in Belair near a church. Their further investigation led them to Quashie, who was found at his home in Belair.
When the police questioned him, Quashie handed over the keys to the car and a search of the car revealed a bag continuing Quashie’s passport.
Police also found, inside the car, Quashie’s cellular telephone and charger, his bankbook and a receipt in his name.
On April 23, 2008, the partially decomposed body of Allen-Small was found in a shallow grave at the Belair cemetery.
A post mortem concluded that she died of the chop wounds to the neck and the amputation of the hand.
On April 28, 2008, Quashie made a statement in the presence of a justice of the peace, admitting to the offence and laying out, in detail, the role that he played in the woman’s death.
In handing down his sentence, Justice Cottle noted that in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, it is still possible for a prisoner to be sentenced to death for murder.
He, however, said that that option is closed to the court because the law says that capital punishment is reserved for the worst of the worst cases.
The judge said that considering the cases that have come before the court, he couldn’t say that Quashie’s murder of Allen Small was one of such cases.
Justice Cottle noted the aims of criminal sentencing, namely retribution, deterrence, prevention, and rehabilitation.
He said the mitigating factors he was able to identify are the plea of guilty and his confession to the police at an early stage.
He further said that Quashie has no relevant previous convictions.
“But I thought that the aggravating features are many. The victim was a vulnerable elderly woman. The prisoner was then age 31. He stands 6 foot 3 inches tall, weighs 230 pounds. He used a weapon against an unarmed woman.”
The judge said that also aggravating was the fact that the murder occurred during the course of a robbery.
“The victim did nothing to provoke this prisoner. The attack was violent. Even as she lay bleeding on the ground, he administered the coup de grace.”
Justice Cottle also noted that Quashie had tried to conceal his crime and was content, after the offence, to drive around in the woman’s car.
He also noted that the attack took place at a public location in a popular local beach and that there was no expression of remorse by Quashie at an early stage.
The judge said this shows a degree of premeditation on the part of the prisoner.
He said that it is important to note that a sentencing court does not just sentence for offences, but sentences offenders.
“So you have to look at the personal circumstances of each of them,” Justice Cottle said.
‘chronic psychotic disorder’
He pointed out that a psychiatric evaluation was ordered for Quashie.
The psychiatrist reported that Quashie suffers from chronic psychotic disorder, most likely schizophrenia, for which he continues to require anti-psychotic medication to control his symptoms.
The psychiatrist, however, concluded that he was fit to plead, fit to instruct counsel, and fit to stand trial.
A social inquiry report said that Quashie was calm, coherent and willing to share freely during the interviews.
Quashie’s family members and friends expressed shock upon hearing of his role in the crime.
They said he was a quiet person who would not cause trouble, a sentiment echoed by members of the community where he lived at Belair.
The judge said that his calculation on sentencing began from the point that, in his court, cases of murder have been attracting a starting sentence of 30 years in prison.
After taking account of the aggravating and mitigating features, the judge increased the starting point by six years.
Quashie received the standard discount of one-third of his sentence for his guilty plea.
When that was subtracted from the sentence, Quashie was ordered to spend an additional 13 years, one month and three weeks in jail.
Poor Mrs. Small. After serving this country so we’ll what a way to die. I realize mental illness is for real. But how come some of them know to rob and murder people instead of committing suicide. After taking someone’s life, when he finish serving his sentence he will be out again to be a threat to society again. Heaven help us.
It’s not the worse of the worse, ah wonder way dem go consider worse of d worse.
And this animal didn’t get life in prison? This quiet, lovely mother and grand mother died such a horrible death and the judge is lenient because he plead guilty and he never had any other offence.
He’s a thief and a murderer and should not be given a chance to hurt another helpless person.
He should rot in jail for his crime……
No justice no peace!!
Why the Judge did not his Mental Disorder, or Psychotic behavior when appalling his judgement on the defendant?
How can a person be in Psychotic state, and still in sound mind?
Please Doctor, who is fooling who? In my judgement the doctor is Psy. Not of sound mind .
Please give fair justice to all.
That psychiatrist needs to be fired. This man was just released from the mental home shortly before the murder. A diagnosed psychotic individual libing by himself with no one to monitor his treatment and progress- was release back into the public.
Just for my clarification, a lawyer with no history of mental illness went and gun down his lover in front of the police station because she defied him , gets 5 years and sited mental illness. A man with a history of mental disease sentencing starts at 30 years plus!! Crazy man sentence is just but why did the lawyer only get 5 when there was apparent malice after- thought!!
A perceptive and intelligent comment.
The simple reasons for the difference in sentences are that (1) lawyer Mark Williams who shot and killed his ex-girfriend in high daytime in front of the Kingstown police headquarters pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity; (2) Williams was represented by Othniel Sylvester, his law partner, an outstanding criminal lawyer; (3) Williams was a member of high society being the son of Danny Williams who was also a lawyer and political activist; (4) the defense was able to hire a psychiatrist who vouched for Williams’ alleged insanity.
None of this was available to a nobody like Junior Quashie who killed the highly respected retired librarian Lorna Small (a woman I knew and admired very much).
In little SVG, as in many similar societies, it is not what you have done but who you are and who you know that determines how you are treated by the law and other institutions of the state.
THE SENTENCING GUIDELINES ARE A DISGRACE TO SAY THE LEAST …….NO WONDER SVG IS A ” FREE FOR ALL ” COUNTRY FOR MURDERERS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE ” BACKWARDS ” AND GET WORSE IF THERE IS NO REFORM IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM .
Am injustice occurred, he slaughtered the poor woman in cold blood . She was like a saint, I knew her while she worked at the Kingstown library during my school days. If this case is not among the worse of the worse, then I really don’t know.
The judge need help something is wrong with that picture
Mrs. Small died a horrible death committed by the hands of the monster Quashie who they said was quiet. When she saw the giant monster coming towards her she tried to go back into her car but never made it. She knew she was in danger but she was no match for him, especially after he slam the car door on her hand and broke it then use a knife on her that is pure evil. This man Quashie should never see the light of day for the heinous criminal act on an elderly person, and this is not the worst of the worst give me a break. So tell me now, all those cruel things he did to the elderly lady which she may have died a slow death cause by a 230 pounds 6 foot 3 inches man it’s not capital punishment. If they knew this man was a schizophrenic person why is he out in public with a knife he had his intentions and happen to see her first. Mrs. Small did not deserved to die in that manner in which her life ended it is shameful and very sad, it look like the accused got all the sympathy no convictions, early confession, plead guilty, and it’s not the worst of the worst what is it then. What did the victim got hand slammed in door, slashed many times, wrapped in what ever, drove around with a tortured dead body, then took her to the cemetery and buried alone. A very heartbroken criminal act for everyone that knew her even for the ones that never met her like myself lord help us..May you Rest in Peace Mrs. Small.
so sad for this lady to die like that she was such a devoted librarian a woman of dignity a woman of the community