OUTSTANDING CAPITAL CASES IN DEPENDENT OVERSEAS TERRITORIES
Territory
Name of Accused
Stage Reached
BVI
Sylvester Gaston
Montserrat
Samuel Greenaway
Convicted of murder, sentenced to death. Local appeal rejected. Leave to appeal to Privy Council refused.
Convicted of murder. Sentenced to death. Appeal yet to be heard.
Timing of next stage
Meeting of the Prengative of Mercy Committee and Governor's announcement expected towards the end of June or early July.
No date yet fixed for Appeal.
Remarks
Trial judge recommended commutation on grands that jury were not properly dispassionate. Recent examination by British psychiatrists concluded that accused is mentally retarded (with a mental age of 9) and may have committed the crime during a focal epileptic fit. The
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Governor has informed us in confidence that it is his intention to commute. Announcement of this decision could lead to disturbances.
Victim a popular
cricketer
S
jury possibly?
biased. Provocation, age of accused (65) and his previous good record should indicate leniency. The Governor has indicated that he will commute the sentence if the appeal
fails.
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