TNAG-0722-FCO40-920-Capital-punishment-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 6

OUTSTANDING CAPITAL CASES IN DEPENDENT OVERSEAS TERRITORIES

AS AT 1 OCTOBER 1978

Territory

Name of Accused

Stages Covered

Belize

Earl Young

Convicted of murder.

Sentenced to death. Appeal dismissed.

Belize

William Dixon

Wanted for murder.

Bermuda

Chesterfield Johnson

Bermuda

Clayton Raynor

Convicted of murder. Sentenced to death.

Charged with arson and murder at Southampton Princess Hotel during December 1977 distur- bances.

Next Stage

Consideration by Local Mercy Committee. (Governor will let us have details of timing.)

Yet to be apprehended.

Appeal should be heard late November or early December.

Trial should take place in October.

Remarks

There was verbal provocation by victim and her sister but this is not sufficient under Belize law to reduce a verdict from murder to manslaughter. It could however provide grounds for a recommendation to commute by the local Mercy Committee. One member of the Committee has already told the Governor he believes commutation would be appropriate. 188 citi- zens of Belize have peti- tioned the Committee to recommend mercy.

A suspected accomplice, John Dane, was acquitted on 14 April 1978.

Accused has history of mental instability, and is said to have a mental age of 11. Johnson is black, his victim was white.

/Monterrat