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Kenaz Hazel sentenced to 5 years @ HMP for unlicensed gun

Kenaz Hazel will be spending the next 5 years at Her Majesty's Prison after pleading guilty to ‘carrying an unlicensed firearm’. Photo: Facebook
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- A 24-year-old Purcell Estate man will spend the next five years at Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) in Balsam Ghut after pleading guilty to the offence of ‘carrying an unlicensed firearm’.

Kenaz Hazel was sentenced on Wednesday, October 7, 2020, by Magistrate Christilyn Benjamin following his re-appearance before the court.

The magistrate, in sentencing the youngster, said she took into consideration his early guilty plea and his no previous convictions in this jurisdiction.

Circumstances surrounding offence

According to Lyn Daley, prosecutor from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Hazel was caught with a black handgun concealed inside a grey sweater, thirteen 40-millimetre rounds of live ammunition in the magazine, $500, and some articles of clothing inside a dark backpack.

On the day in question, October 4, 2020, officers from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) were conducting mobile patrol on Beef Island.

While there they spotted the defendant, dressed in dark clothing, exiting from a vehicle and making a beeline to the awaiting ferry in the area carrying a bag.

The officers then proceeded to follow the defendant and later conducted multiple searches during which time the items were found.

Daley said the defendant remarked that he was given the bag by someone to deliver on Virgin Gorda and he didn’t know anything.

He was escorted to the Road Town Police Station for a more thorough search and a tally of the money in his possession.

However, he later said in court that he had the gun for his protection.

Hazel was unrepresented during the criminal proceedings.

26 Responses to “Kenaz Hazel sentenced to 5 years @ HMP for unlicensed gun”

  • WHAT!!! (07/10/2020, 18:50) Like (20) Dislike (2) Reply
    Of course he pleaded guilty caught red handed what else could he do. 5 years , not enough.
    • from buckingham palace (09/10/2020, 13:57) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
      Any person found with an unlicensed firearm should be sentenced to 9-10 years in prison.
  • Nickkie (07/10/2020, 19:41) Like (10) Dislike (1) Reply
    These two youngsters were caught with hold-up stuff in their possession - I'm hoping that the police would try to match them up with past hold-ups and burglaries in the territory.
  • Me (07/10/2020, 19:48) Like (13) Dislike (1) Reply
    Again coming to VG.I said before & again the hoodlums coming to VG to create havoc this is the second gunman coming to VG in a.week .Police/district rep./sister island cordinator/at large rep/district man let me hear ur voices.
  • bvi (07/10/2020, 20:32) Like (12) Dislike (1) Reply
    Something wrong in this place...People can afford to walk around with firearm ...do what you have to do and get away with a slap on the wrist...SmH
  • Only 5? (07/10/2020, 20:34) Like (22) Dislike (0) Reply
    Man with a spiff getting crazy years and fines and people with Gun 5 years ? Broken system
  • from buckingham palace (07/10/2020, 20:54) Like (5) Dislike (2) Reply
    Justice has been done.5 years to regret having a firearm.Justice has been served.
  • Peaches (07/10/2020, 23:04) Like (18) Dislike (1) Reply
    Kenaz, it breaks my heart to see the path you and your brother have taken. You both grew up in the church and you have strayed so far from God. Now, you have to spend five years of your life locked up because of this wrong decision. Five years isi a long time for anyone, muchless a young man like you. You should have been in the comuunity holding down a good job, in a serious relationship and thinking about marriage and a family.

    As a mother, my heart goes out to your mom. I feel her pain.

    What is going on with all these young men getting into trouble? Something is not right.
    • Well since you asked (08/10/2020, 06:51) Like (7) Dislike (9) Reply
      Great question Peaches. Let me take a stab at answering it. The problem with young men in this community is the women who are raising them. I don't know his mother's story, however the standard plot is, the mother, unable to have a healthy relationship with a man, inappropriately projects her need for intimacy and love on her son(s) and promotes him into the role of surrogate spouse. Unfortunately, when a child is given the powers and privileges of an adult it is impossible to continue to parent and correct them as necessary. So these boys run wild and their mother's are reluctant to discipline their "company" and "snuggle buddy" for fear of losing their emotional crutch.

      As for the churches in this territory, you must be joking. It has been decades since they stood for anything positive in our community. Churches have become a haven for mentally and spiritually ill people, pretending otherwise, who contaminate unprotected young people in our community. The prosperity gospel precludes them from actually being an instrument of guidance and correction.

      I hope this helps!
      • BS! (08/10/2020, 08:27) Like (16) Dislike (4) Reply
        @Well since you asked - you should have stopped at "I don't know his mother's story..." your sweeping generalisation, condescending tone and complete lack of any information pertinent this situation leave you completely unqualified to pass judgement. Go siddung.
        • Well since you can’t comprehend (08/10/2020, 10:40) Like (6) Dislike (3) Reply
          Peaches asked a general question that I responded to in a general way. It seems like my conceptulization of an increasingly apparent problem in this community struck a nerve. I will take that as confirmation that I am correct. Be well.
        • Behaviour (08/10/2020, 15:40) Like (4) Dislike (2) Reply
          It would seems to me that the behaviour has already indicated the truth of the statements, otherwise, why are you offended?.

          The generalization was possible because in our society it is no longer an anomaly to see a young man with a gun, a young man in with a gun in an actual gun fight and people robbing and coming to the point of death because of a gun, it has become the norm.

          When a thing is repeatedly done, sweepingly so, to borrow your word, it becomes the norm. The facts are apparent, it is young men out there doing these things, it is not old men.

          You feel very affronted by the comment, because you know its true. As mothers, as a society, we no longer hold our young men accountable for their actions, we don't enforce our standards and tell them the consequences of not upholding them is that they will be discipline accordingly and not rewarded with non-action for the bad behaviour, therein telling them its ok to carry on and in fact to escalate the bad behaviour because there are no consequences.

          We have stopped raising MEN. We revere boy children and we treat them a certain way, we cuddle them but we raise girl children to be fierce and independent, but where are the men to marry them, protect them and help them build healthy families, where mothers are not there to tell their psuedo-man-child that she can do for him better than his wife?

          We are also the village and some mothers tell the village not to say anything to their child. We cuss the village in front the child and teach them disrespect for all the parts of the village that were responsible for helping to raise them. And when the child turns on the village, we hide in shame. We started down a slippery slope with that one and now we are reaping the harvest of that wrong thinking.

          You can go take several seats yourself!

          • Well said! (08/10/2020, 16:10) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
            Instead of getting in our feelings, maybe we should take note of this thoughtful analysis and reflect on why we are so offended by it.
    • Sad (08/10/2020, 21:40) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      3 sons and all in jail. Saw one by the bus stop looking like a lickle ole man the other day. Tis tha one?
  • NezRez (07/10/2020, 23:16) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
    You young men are just messing up your lives. This is sad and nothing to celebrate about. Yes, they got caught red handed, which needed to be punished. My concern is what is happening to our young people, when they could be putting their energy into something positive. Real sad.
  • Praying (08/10/2020, 00:40) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    I will continue to pray for you. I remember the days when I was at seven days Adventist primary school this was in 2004-05 with pastor DAVID. Your father and mother had so much love for you and your two other brothers always on time to pick you up and drop you guys off. Really sad to see how things turned out but I will continue to pray for you .
  • Rubber Duck (08/10/2020, 02:53) Like (10) Dislike (2) Reply
    5 years is not enough. We need mandatory 10 year sentences to discourage the plague of guns blighting our islands. And 20 years if caught smuggling them from the cess pit next door. And we need an amnesty program so people can give up weapons with no penalty over a period of time. Action now Mr Fahie.
    • unknown (08/10/2020, 14:05) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
      THis offer was on the table already it was open with no penalties they even offered for them to turn them in and/or register them. But I guess many of them know why they not going to turn them in.
  • Really (08/10/2020, 05:39) Like (22) Dislike (0) Reply
    This is the second time this man in prison. Something needs to be done to deter them from wanting to be back there. Stop feeding them with our tax money. We have to work too hard. Give them time with hard labor.
  • Nice (08/10/2020, 09:00) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Whatever happened in the murder case that he and his girlfriend were held for? Is it still an ongoing case?
  • C** D**P (08/10/2020, 09:28) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    He’s not even going to spend 6 months in there. The host of c** D**P going to get himself. She will clim he’s young and don’t know better and the police just harassing people.
  • WISE (08/10/2020, 10:38) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    he going up to meet he man Tape
    • Really now. (14/10/2020, 12:47) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      I too sure I saw Tape running with a dog the other day up Little Dix.
  • Stupid people (08/10/2020, 11:06) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply

    I've read where the jack*** said he was raised by his mother. Many young boys were raised by single mothers and has came out to be productive citizens in the community. His mother did her best in raising these boys, but they chose to follow the masses( and turned themselves into a&&3$. He is a grown man and his mother is not responsible for his decisions. He has made his bed so let him lay in it.

  • u (08/10/2020, 15:36) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply

    Money talk and bull sh**t walk

  • Just saying (09/10/2020, 06:38) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    While there they spotted the defendant, dressed in dark clothing, exiting from a vehicle and making a beeline to the awaiting ferry in the area carrying a bag.

    Sounds to me he is one of the men who are commuting the robberies of Virgin Gorda. Do a thorough interrogation on him.


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