Kirkland Henry (37) and Larry Ricketts (33) will serve minimum life sentences of 40 years for the murder of Estella Scott-Roberts after Chief Justice Anthony Smellie handed down his ruling Thursday, following the recent conditional release hearings for the two killers. These are the longest tariffs given to any killers currently serving life in HMP Northward. Describing the murder as “unprecedented in these islands”, CJ Smellie said it was “difficult to imagine more cruel and depraved treatment of a defenseless woman”, as he recalled the facts of the case he tried in 2010.
Henry was not in court, as he has now been diagnosed with a disillusion psychotic disorder, but members of Scott-Roberts’ family as well as many friends were present. Ricketts sat in the dock with his head hung as the chief justice read the ruling.
The country’s top judge found many aggravating factors in the crime. It began at around 11pm on the night of 10 October 2008 with her abduction in the car park of a West Bay Road restaurant, where she had been enjoying her birthday celebration with friends. He said she was subjected to the ordeal over a “terrifyingly long period of time” in the pre-planned and premeditated kidnapping, rape and eventual murder.
Explaining his decision for a ten-year increase on the 30-year murder tariff set out in the law, the chief justice said that in his view that term would fail to reflect the real gravity of the offence.
Read more here.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
