Life in prison with a tariff of just over 42 years after deductions.
That was the sentence killer Gabriel Shando Hayde got, from Justice Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell, for the first of his two 2020 murders, described as a “brutal execution-style killing”.
Next Friday, he will find out the time for his second murder conviction when he appears before Justice Carlisle Greaves in the No. 3 Supreme Court, where he was found guilty of murdering Roger “Bubbla” Moore, 32, formerly of Bath Land, St John.
Both murders took place six months apart in 2020 – Kerwin Howell on February 16, and Moore on August 18.
It was an indifferent-looking Hayde, standing in the dock with his arms folded, who heard the sentence in the No. 4 Supreme Court yesterday.
It was back in May last year that Hayde, known as “Sheriff”, of Colleton Land, St John, was convicted of murdering Howell, 26, of Gall Hill, St John.
Director of Public Prosecutions Alliston Seale, SC, and State Counsel Maya Kellman prosecuted, while Hayde was represented by Senior Counsel Angella Mitchell-Gittens.
“This appeared to me to be a brutal execution-style killing,” said Justice Smith-Bovell who, in going over the facts, recounted that Hayde walked “right up behind” Howell, drew a gun from his waist and discharged four shots.
One of the bullets entered the back of Howell’s neck and exited through his nose.
“There is no doubt, from the facts of this case, that a custodial sentence is merited,” the judge declared.
She pointed to the use of the firearm in the killing, the planning and premeditation involved in the offence, and the manner in which the murder was carried out.
“This was similar to one of an execution-style killing,” she said.
“The deceased had no opportunity to defend himself or take evasive action. The shooting was unprovoked as there was no conversation between the deceased and Hayde before Hayde shot the deceased.
‘Serious risk of harm’
“The offence took place in broad daylight, in the presence of members of the public who were in close proximity, thereby placing them at serious risk of harm,” the judge said.
“[Hayde] sought to escape as members of the community sought to wrestle the firearm from him.”
Justice Smith-Bovell referred to the prevalence of such offences in society and the fact that the firearm had not been recovered.
She also noted the effect the killing had on members of the community as the probation officer, who compiled Hayde’s presentencing report, said some people appeared reluctant to speak and intimidated.
There were no mitigating features in the offence, the judge told Hayde.
“Your culpability in this matter is high and I have borne in mind this offence requires both a punitive and deterrent sentence.”
She also noted Hayde had not bothered to hide his identity when he committed the murder.
“I am of the view that you were cold, calculated and cruel when you carried out this murder in the presence of the community, openly unmasked without apparently being concerned that you would be identified, and this says a lot about your potential threat to members of the public.
“I am of the view that there is the likelihood that you will commit violent offences in the future. I am satisfied that you represent a clear and present danger to members of the society and you are too dangerous to be released back into society,” she said, noting that Hayde had killed the man while he was on bail for an act of serious bodily harm using a firearm.
Justice Smith-Bovell said she determined that 46 years was the appropriate tariff before he could be released from the life sentence.
She continued that while Hayde had no previous convictions, he had been assessed as posing a very high risk of reoffending.
The judge added his young age, at the time, could not count as a mitigating factor, as she agreed with Justice Greaves that the majority of gun crimes were committed by young men.
She noted that the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating factors and increased the tariff by two years, to 48 years.
She then sentenced Hayde to life imprisonment with a tariff of 48 years, minus the 1 929 days he spent on remand, before he could be considered for release. (HLE)
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