Exclusive: HMP inmate cries of injustice in court system
Elroy G. Okeiffe, 28, said he had been self-employed and without any prior convictions up to the time of his arrest on April 18, 2012 when 1.5kg of cocaine was discovered at his home in Johnson's Ghut.
The inmate, a Virgin Islander, said despite his pleas for leniency before the Magistrate’s court and his early guilty plea he was handed a sentence that he felt was unjust.
Okeiffe pleaded guilty in 2012 to charges of possession of an illegal drug and possession of an illegal drug with intent to supply. Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards at the time handed down a sentence of five years’ imprisonment for the supply charge and two years in prison for the possession charge which are to be served concurrently.
He complained that his sentence was handed down in the absence of his attorney at the time, Mr Richard Rowe and felt this affected his sentence negatively.
According to the inmate, the sentence was too harsh and this caused him to try to have it reduced before the Court of Appeal. He complained that at his first appearance in May 2013, he was told that his transcript was not yet available and this prevented his matter from being heard before the appeal judges.
His matter was then adjourned to September 2013 but according to Okeiffe, his transcript remained unavailable to the Court of Appeal because of the alleged absence of one signature.
Okeiffe said another year is quickly approaching and he is still unsure whether his matter will be heard before the Appeals Court and he is questioning whether justice is being delayed because his surname might not be indigenous to the Virgin Islands.
He is now asking that his matter be fast tracked so that his appeal can be heard at the end of April 2014.
Okeiffe has also made reference to other sentences passed in the lower court for similar charges and said there was a clear disparity given the quantities and sentencing in those matters.
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55 Responses to “Exclusive: HMP inmate cries of injustice in court system”
do the crime, do the time whatever that may be. did he say anywhere in there that he was sorry for dealing in cocaine? nah ... just bawling about wanting to get out and this or that is unfair! if he saw this coming would you have gotten involved in drugs?
Truly, what about those youngsters (no doubt) whose futures he has ruined? What about the suffering the family of those persons (youngsters, no doubt) endure, seeing their sacrifices and hard toil to raise their children in many cases come to nought?
He should be made to look at Drugs Inc. to see the great societal harm he has contributed to in his 'business' as a pedlar.
Lol punks like u wouldnt even meet da man in the sreet n call him a p...y, lol stay hiding behind ur monitor buddy...
Crying to get out to start again.
Do you know how many lives you F... up.
Dealing in coke should be an automatic 10 years.
You took a chance, you got caught, shut up and do the time.
I'm sick of people complaining about prison life
I am on the outside, hearing the complains of those on the inside; that is enough incentive to stay on the straight and narrow, abide by the laws and keep my A$$ out of prison
Don't be doing what you want and when you get caught you acting like Peewy Herman