Appeal Court varies killer’s life sentence

The Court of Appeal yesterday revisited a judgment handed down on Tuesday in the matter of  woman-killer Clifford Beckles, and varied the earlier sentence of “life imprisonment not to be released before the expiration of 25 years,” to simply “life imprisonment.” Their lordships felt that the modification of their sentence was more in keeping with the Privy Council’s ruling in Charles Matthew. In that matter, the Law Lords said, “There is a similar power under Section 14 (2) of the constitution of Trinidad and Tobago. “Pursuant to this power, their Lordships will allow the appeal, set aside the sentence of death and impose a sentence of life imprisonment.”

Beckles, of Rio Claro, was found guilty of throwing a fire-bomb which killed his ex-common-law wife as she lay in bed with her new lover at his Cachipe home in Moruga on the night of September 28, 2000. He was sentenced to death by Justice Prakash Moosai on November 29, 2002. His death sentence was set aside and replaced with life imprisonment as a result of a Privy Council ruling. Justices of Appeal Rolston Nelson, Wendell Kangaloo and Stanley John heard the appeal.