McClean funeral interrupts killer’s sentence review

THE SENTENCE review hearing of convicted teen killer Leroy Andrews was yesterday speedily adjourned in order for the judge to attend the funeral of former House Speaker Hector McClean. Sitting in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Criminal Court, Justice Anthony Carmona heard brief arguments by Andrews’ attorneys Gerald Ramdeen and Mark Seepersad before rushing off to pay his last respects to McClean at the nearby Trinity Cathedral. Referring to the case of another convicted teen killer Chuck Attin, Ramdeen’s and Seepersad’s  arguments centred around the trial judge’s neglect to address the issue of rehabilitation and integration into society when sentencing Attin.

The attorneys suggested that Carmona should take those issues into his consideration as he reviewed their client’s sentence. However, Carmona reminded the attorneys of the gruesome nature of the murder for which Andrews was convicted and sentenced. Andrews, 30, was found guilty of the murder of Marion Narinesingh in Lopinot, and was sentenced at the President’s Pleasure by Justice Lennox Deyalsingh on June 29, 1993, since he was a minor at the time of his offence and could not receive the death penalty. On February 2, 2004, Ramdeen and Seepersad had filed a motion — that under the Children’s Act their client’s detention was unconstitutional because it contradicted the rule of separation of powers. Andrews should have been detained at the Court’s Pleasure, the attorneys had argued.

Madame Justice Mira Dean-Armorer had upheld Andrews’ motion and ordered he be detained at the Court’s Pleasure with periodical reviews. The State had then agreed to a consent order. However, when the matter was called before Carmona on December 2, the State requested that the consent order be reopened by Dean Amorer in light of the Privy Council judgment in the Matthew’s case — the Privy Council had ruled there was no contradiction of separation of powers in having the Mercy Committee, instead of the Judiciary, evaluate the sentences of persons on Death Row. Andrews will reappear before Carmona later this month.