‘Raw pain’!

If the father of the young man who Dante Brooks, son of dancehall artiste Mavado, and his co-accused, Andre Hinds, murdered could have traded place with his son, he would.

This was evident from the heartache and pain expressed in the victim impact statement from Lancelot Thomas who three years after the death of his only son, Lorenzo, still cries every day.

“On the night Chullups was killed I felt like I wanted to die, mi even tell his murderers to kill mi too,” the 55-year-old heartbroken father said in the statement which was read at the sentencing hearing in the Home Circuit Court where the killers were given life sentences.

“Up to today, this is the worst experience of my life. Me wish me could erase da scene deh out a mi head, dem shoot him, try chop off him neck and den pour gas on him body and den light him and we house a fire.

“ Mi have life but sometimes mi feel like mi dead inside, mi dead from the same night him dead,” Lancelot shared. “The pain in a mi heart raw like a cut wey naah get better.”

The contractor, who has had to restart his life in a new community since the tragedy unfolded at his St Andrew home in Cassava Piece on June 5, 2018, said he has lost significant amounts of weight and has been getting more grey hair.

“Mi cry every day since it happen up to now, mi nuh know how me no go crazy inna me head ,” said the grieving father who said he is living in fear and is also worried about not seeing his other children.

Special bond

Lancelot who glowingly remembers his son said they shared a special bond from he was in his mother’s womb.

“I would share jokes with him, I would tell him that him must come play football like me and I would tell him of all my hopes and dreams that I had for him,” he recalled, while adding that on the day his son was born, he was given the honour of cutting his navel string.

The father who said that his son was a source of joy to him from the moment he was born to the day he passed, also said they were inseparable and had never had an argument.

“We cook together, we go market together, we go beach together,we did everything together,” he said.

Lancelot, who described his son as being very loving and caring, said he did not deserve to die in the manner he was killed, especially by persons, whom he had also nurtured when they too were children.

The father lamented that his son did not get a chance to experience the birth of his son.

He also expressed regret that he not only lost his son but his life as well in the community that he loved.

Lancelot said that he was forced to abandon his life and had to start afresh with only “ an underpants” which was the only thing he had saved in the fire.

According to him, he is not the only family member that is suffering, as his son’s mother has developed high blood pressure and diabetes and has been in and out of hospital since his death.

His sisters too are struggling, he said, while noting that one in particular and has become very aggressive and violent at school.

“The whole family get damaged because of Chullup’s murder,” Lancelot said.

However, the father said he felt some amount of relief when the two offenders were found guilty. Lancelot said he felt so overcome with emotion that he fell down and wept and “all get diarrhoea”.

Lancelot who was the main witness in the trial said he felt satisfied that he testified and his son got justice and he hopes they get the maximum sentence.

In the meantime, Brooks and Hinds were both sentenced to life in prison by Justice Leighton Pusey.

The judge ordered that the teenager must serve 22 years in prison before being eligible for parole. He was also sentenced to 20 years in prison and 15 years for illegal possession of firearm and arson, respectively.

Hinds, on the other hand, will have to serve 17 years in prison before being paroled. He was also sentenced to 15 years each on arson and illegal possession of firearm charges.

Both offenders received substantial discounts for their youthfulness.

However, in Brooks’ case, the judge took into account that he was the “man in charge” during the murder and that he had committed the act while on bail for another offence which Justice Leighton highlighted that had he had scant regard for the justice system.

As it relates to Hinds, the judge credited him for his expression of remorse that was captured in the social enquiry report where he stated that he was sorry for what happened to the victim who was his friend.

Attorneys-at-law, Peter Champagnie, QC, along with Oswest Senior Smith and Tamika Harris represented Brooks while and Kemar Robinson represented Hinds.

Following the sentence, the lawyers indicated that they will be appealing.

“As the defence team, we respect the decision of the court, we always have to do that but at the same time we have the right to appeal. Our clients have instructed us that we should appeal and we will act accordingly.”