A man who fired four shots at a crowded nightclub on March 1, 2009 and killed a security guard was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday.
Keon Edwards, a 24-year-old St. Vincent national, pleaded guilty earlier this year to manslaughter charges after a bullet from his gun killed Monroe Thomas Jr.
Mr. Thomas, a security guard at Club Diplomat in Long Bush, was acting as a “peacemaker” to mediate a confrontation between an enraged Mr. Thomas and other guards, Senior Crown Counsel Christilyn Benjamin said.
Mr. Edwards was angry that he had been denied entry to the club because he was “improperly” dressed, according to Ms. Benjamin.
The incident was captured on video, which made for a “clear case,” Justice Indra Hariprashad-Charles said Monday.
The judge said the benchmark sentence for manslaughter is 15 years but due to the seriousness and circumstances of the offence, she felt the sentence needed an “upward adjustment.”
See the April 7, 2011 edition for full coverage.