Killer sorry for actions

Even though he was responsible for killing his neighbour, he felt he had to defend himself, self-confessed killer Ricardo Jamal Stephenson told the No. 5 Supreme Court yesterday.

“I want this court to know I take responsibility for my actions, though they were not intended to cause Christopher Nedd to lose his life . . . . I am very sorry for the fact that I am responsible for the consequences of my actions,” he said from the dock.

Stephenson, 25, of Denny’s Road, Thorpes, St James, was back in court after he had pleaded guilty, at an earlier session of the Continuous Sittings, to unlawfully killing Nedd on October 22, 2012.  He had originally been arraigned with murdering the 24-year-old of Haynesville, St James.

Stephenson said he could not begin to understand how Nedd’s mother and family felt as a result of his actions. He further asked the court to be lenient and to “understand that it was a situation where I feel I had to defend myself”.

“I am not hiding behind that excuse. And I hope that some day I would be able to give back to my society and country after having taking a life that I had no hand in bringing,” he ended his statement.

Stephenson has so far spent 2 024 days on remand.

His attorney Rita Evans, who made submissions on sentence, said: “The question to be asked is if he has come crashing down. The defence would like to posit that he has not. There is still time for him to be redeemed,” the attorney said.

Evans pointed to Stephenson’s previously clean record, his remorse and regret, as well as the forensic evidence which said Nedd died from one stab wound.

“The facts don’t say there was any relationship between the two. They merely lived in close proximity to each other.”

She suggested Evans should receive no more than seven years, inclusive of the time spent on remand.

The court had heard that Stephenson went to Nedd’s house and asked for 25 cents. Nedd, however, cursed him. The two then had an argument which led to a fight.

Stephenson later told the police that Nedd had poked him in the back of the head twice and held on to him. He said Nedd pushed his hand in his waist and he heard a “chucking” noise like that of a firearm, so he “jucked” him three times. (HLE)