Joshua Meredith was yesterday sentenced to 15 years behind bars for the 2016 killing of Charlestown youth Gregory Garraway.
Meredith, 26, had been charged with murdering Garraway in the course or furtherance of an October 2nd, 2016 robbery, at the `Wings and Things’ Bar on Mandela Avenue, in Georgetown.
Meredith denied the capital offence and pleaded instead to the lesser offence of manslaughter during an appearance before Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the High Court in Georgetown.
According to the Prosecution’s case, Garraway had gone into the bar to place an order and was making his way to uplift it when Meredith snatched his two chains, whipped out a gun and fired a shot at him. Garraway was shot in the abdomen and later died of septic shock. Prosecutor Nafeeza Baig, previously, informed the court that Meredith was subsequently pointed out at an identification (ID) parade by Garraway’s brother, who was some five feet away at the time of the attack.
Meredith’s attorney, Adrian Thompson, in mitigation, said that the accused had a challenging childhood and was influenced by the Warlock, East Ruimveldt community in which he grew up.
Thompson also said that his client is remorseful and plans to change his life.
Before being sentenced yesterday, Meredith told the court that he is sorry for the pain caused to the family of the deceased and while asking for forgiveness, he said that he was young and ignorant at the time the crime was committed.
After his probation report was presented to the court, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry took into consideration that Meredith was remorseful for the crime committed and made several deductions before reducing his sentence to 15 years.
Among those deductions were consideration of the years he spent on remand and the circumstances of his home life prior to the crime.
