‘Street frog’ jailed for 2 years

In sentencing Ronnel “Street Frog” Cudjoe at the Port-of-Spain Assizes on Monday, Justice Alice Yorke-Soo Hon told him she was convinced that it was not a pre-meditated act when he fatally stabbed Deon Gonzales on May 3, 2002.

She had earlier told him he had a lot in his favour and listed his previous good character, not wasting judicial time by pleading guilty, his expression of remorse almost immediately after the incident, and his cooperation with the police after his arrest as the things she had considered in deciding a sentence.

However, the judge said, the offence was serious and far too prevalent and the court had a duty to protect the sanctity of human life. She said she could not comply with his attorney’s request for a non-custodial sentence because such violent crimes must be punished appropriately.

She said she had also considered the four calender years for which he had already been incarcerated, which amounted to seven prison years.

Cudjoe, 26, of North Eastern Settlement pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the basis of provocation. He had fatally stabbed Gonzales near the KFC restaurant in Sangre Grande.

According to the State’s case, Cudjoe, his sister and brother-in-law were on their way to New Wok pub in Sangre Grande, when the deceased and Cudjoe had an altercation just outside KFC. Cudjoe went into the restaurant, took his friend’s car keys, went to the car and got a knife, which he hid in his waist.

He returned to the restaurant and asked his friend to take him home. As he was about to exit the restaurant, Gonzales threw a bottle at him and the two began to struggle.

Cudjoe stabbed Gonzales in the neck and ran to a friend’s home, where he confessed and prayed about the incident. Cudjoe was represented by attorney Wayne Sturge.