Born-again Christian robber gets five-year sentence

A horticulturist whose right hand was severed from above the wrist and his left leg permanently handicapped during a robbery attack, protested a five-year sentence imposed on his “born-again-Christian” attacker yesterday.

Almost immediately after Justice Paula-Mae Weekes imposed three five-year sentences to run consecutively on Thaddeus  Belfon for wounding Albert Meyers with intent to do grievous bodily harm, robbery with aggravation and robbery with violence, Meyers started crying. He left the courtroom in tears saying: “Look at me, look at my hand.” A distraught Meyers, reluctant to talk to the media, said he was not satisfied with the sentence. He indicated that he was of the view that his attacker should have been given a stiffer sentence.

Since the attack, which took place at Meyers’ Wallerfield home on December 19, 1999, Meyers and his family moved to another residence. Belfon and another man went to rob the Meyers family of cash and jewelry. And while defending his wife Rita from the bandits, Meyers’ hand was chopped off. He also received severe chops on his leg. State prosecutor Alexander Prince, who held for his colleague prosecutor Sharon Raphael, asked the judge to impose the maximum penalty of 15 years on Belfon. Prince told the judge that Belfon’s action was as heinous and ferocious  an attack that anyone could perpetrate on a human being. He said it was not a case of tempering justice with mercy. Prince called on the judge to make an example of Belfon and send a message to other would be attackers that the court and society will not tolerate such behaviour.

Belfon had pleaded guilty to the charges, and his lawyer Ryan Cameron, told the Port-of-Spain Assizes that Belfon was a born-again Christian. Cameron said Belfon was an “Elder” in a church group working with prisoners. Not only has Belfon turned over a new leaf, his lawyer said, but he has also written to his victim expressing remorse for his action, Cameron told the Court. Cameron said that this was Belfon’s first breach of the law and also produced letters attesting to his client’s “good character.” He said that Belfon was willing to pay Meyers compensation but neither Belfon nor his family were in a financial position to do so. He said that Belfon had been incarcerated for three years and seven months, which in prison years amounts to five years.

Justice Weekes said that in passing sentence, she has taken into consideration all that was said on behalf of Belfon, including his guilty plea. She said she was satisfied that Belfon was indeed contrite, and his contrition was one of the more meaningful contritions the court had seen. She did not think that society needed to be protected from Belfon at the time, but felt that his action needed punishment.