The decision of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)?Charles Leacock to file a lesser charge against Johan Bjerkhamn in the death of his young son was yesterday lamented by a magistrate.
Just before sentencing Bjerkhamn to 240 hours of community service, Magistrate Barbara Cooke-Alleyne pointed out that the law under which he was charged would only have allowed her to sentence him to three months and/or a fine of $24.
She also disagreed with the DPP that the matter in which the 11-year-old boy died from a gunshot wound, was not a serious one to merit imprisonment.
“The loss of a child’s life in the manner herein accepted by all parties is serious enough to merit a custodial sentence, even if other relevant considerations lead the court to exercise its discretion not to order such,” the magistrate said, as she delivered a three-page written judgement in the high-profile case at the Holetown Magistrates’ Court.
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