Deportee gets 14 years for aunt’s murder

Forty-one-year-old Dexter Moseley who was accused of the 2007 murder of his aunt was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment on Monday by Justice Narindra Singh at the High Court.
Moseley, of Lot 4 Kara Kara, Linden, was indicted for murder. However, the deportee from Canada pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter on November 12.
Latchmin Kumari Abrams was found dead in her bed at her home in Speightland, Lower Kara Kara, Linden.  The murder was committed between February 5 and 6, 2007, while the accused was living with her.
According to reports, sometime between 03:30h and 04:30h on February 6, Moseley ran down to the lower flat of the house and told the tenant that he saw a man going in to Abrams’ home with a cutlass and he barely escaped with his life. The neighbour positioned himself to see if anyone would come out of the woman’s apartment but no one did.
The neighbour and Moseley then went up to the apartment where they found Abrams lying in her bed, frothing from the nose and with abrasions to her neck.
On November 7, a mixed jury was empanelled and the matter was adjourned until November 12 for commencement of the trial; however, on that day, the accused pleaded guilty to manslaughter and sentencing was deferred until Monday.
Also, on that day, a senior probation and human services officer presented a probation report in favour of the accused, who was the fourth of five children.
According to the report, Moseley was a delinquent teen before he migrated to Canada to live with his mother at 16 years of age. In Canada, it was alleged that Moseley was involved in illegal activities; hence, he was deported.
The accused was described by villagers as a loving, respectful, jovial and kind person and was remorseful for his actions, the probation officer said.
State counsel Renita Singh, who in association with Konyo Sandiford-Thompson, prosecuted the case, then questioned the probation officer about the accused’s behaviour during their interview.
Moseley’s attorney, Latchmie Rahamat, then cross-examined the woman and concluded that the probation report was unbalanced, since it did not reflect the past five years of her client’s life – more so how he spent his incarceration.
Before sentencing, Justice Singh asked the defence attorney if she would like another report be prepared or would accept the present one and proceed with the sentencing. Rahamat responded that she was able to acquire the information she needed through cross-examination, so she wished to wrap up the case.
The judge noted that the accused was involved in a preconceived plan to commit a felony against his aunt, who ‘opened her heart’ and house by allowing him to live with her; he had no regard for human life; the probation report reflected that his illegal activities continued after he had migrated.
Noting that it was less than a year after he was deported from Canada that he was charged for his aunt’s murder, the judge added that even if Moseley did not commit the act himself, he conspired with the murderer and did not show remorse.
After more than two hours, Justice Singh handed down an initial sentence of 22 years from which he deducted six years for time incarcerated and two years for the guilty plea.