Finding that their appeal against their convictions for the 2011 murder of 72-year-old Clementine Fiedtkou-Parris had no merit, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Tuesday dismissed the case filed by two brothers—Orwin and Cleon Hinds.
The Trinidad-based court issued its decision after hearing two hours of submissions from the siblings’ lawyer, Arudranauth Gossai.
While the CCJ said it will issue its reasons for dismissing the appeal against conviction in due course, it reserved its ruling on the Hinds’ appeal against their 50-year jail term which they [the brothers] argue is manifestly excessive.
The Bench comprised CCJ President Adrian Saunders, and CCJ Judges Marueen Rajnauth-Lee, Jacob Wit, Andrew Burgess and Denys Barrow, while Assistant Directors of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Teshana Lake and Diana O’Brien appeared for the State.
In February, the Court of Appeal of Guyana upheld the convictions of the brothers and another man, Roy Jacobs who were all found guilty of the crime in 2015 following a trial before Judge Navindra Singh but reduced their sentence from 81 years each with consideration for parole not before 45 years to 50 years each.
It is unclear whether Jacobs has further appealed his sentence and conviction to the regional court.
Meanwhile, Kevin October who was also charged, tried along with the trio and jailed for 81 years over the pensioner’s murder had appealed his conviction and sentence. However, he died last year after contracting COVID-19 in prison, resulting in his appeal being discontinued by the local appellate court.
During interrogation by detectives back in 2011, one of the convicted killers admitted that he and his accomplices were paid almost $1.2M to execute the elderly woman on June 30, 2011.
It was reported that Fiedtkou-Parris was murdered as a result of a bitter dispute over a property. At around 07:45h on the day in question, two men went to the woman’s Robb Street, Georgetown home and called out for her, shouting “Auntie”.
They were directed up a step and when Fiedtkou-Parris emerged from her bedroom, one of the men pulled out a gun and shot her multiple times to her body.
They then escaped in a waiting motorcar which was occupied by some other men. She was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) where she was pronounced dead on arrival.