17 murderers challenge natural life sentences
Judge Peter Jamadar is scheduled to hear novel cases today. Apparently, there is a loophole in “natural life” sentences imposed on convicted murderers who have escaped the hangman.
Former Employers Consultative Association (ECA) official Godson Abraham Neptune is among 17 convicted murderers who will be challenging their life time convictions in the High Court today.
Neptune, who is in his late 70s, was convicted of killing his wife in 1985 while having “a bad cocaine trip”. His in-laws pleaded for clemency when he was found guilty when it was revealed that he was a cocaine addict.
Neptune, a soft-spoken Tobagonian, was also employed at top manufacturing plants as an industrial relations manager before joining the ECA.
Highly educated, Neptune, who has a masters degree, has been a model prisoner and has conducted classes for students.
Neptune and the other killers are challenging the commuting of their death sentences between 1996 to 2000 to the “rest of their natural life” on the basis that such a sentence is unlawful.
Last year, three convicted murderers successfully challenged the sentences and the challenges by Neptune and the other murderers- Oliver Forde, Stephen Hyman, Norbert Williams. Michael Bullock, Allan Henry, Ramesh Maharaj, Victor Baptiste, Rajendra Krishna, Felix Dean, Rasheed Mohammed, Lall Seerattan, Deolal Sukhram, Girjadat Sewpersad. Fazal Amin Khan, Rajendra Krishna and Evans Xavier- were postponed to January.
When the matter came up for hearing before Justice Nolan Bereaux it was sent to new Judge Peter Rajkumar who adjourned it to nine days in October, beginning today.
Five other prisoners are challenging the commutation of their death sentences to 75 years in jail.
Three weeks ago, two convicted murderers, who spent 28 and 30 years, respectively, behind bars, were released from prison when a check showed they had already served their time.
Four years ago, former Judge David Myers had ruled that their natural life sentences, imposed after their death sentences were commuted to life, were unlawful.