From the Courts
July 27, 2007

Bequia man gets 10 years for manslaughter

A 21 year-old fisherman of Paget Farm Bequia was on July 18 sentenced to 10 years behind bars for manslaughter.{{more}}

Kemon Cozier pleaded guilty to causing the death of Timothy “Timmy” Grant, 27 on March 24, 2006.

On that date, Grant went into a liquor shop where a pool game was in progress. It was said that Cozier had already placed fifty cents on the table after one game was concluded, when the deceased, Grant, used Cozier’s money and commenced playing pool. Cozier asked him to give him his money back, which Grant refused to do.

A fight then ensued between both men, after which Cozier left and returned with a fish gun and shot Grant. The deceased received a wound to his back and was taken to the Port Elizabeth Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

As he has been doing for the past weeks, Justice Frederick Bruce Lyle reiterated his point about persons not controlling their anger. Justice Bruce Lyle said, “There are a lot of hasty people in society who take matters into their own hands.” The judge made note of the fact that another life had been lost over money.

Just a few weeks ago, a young lady was sentenced to seven years in prison after she stabbed her aunt in a dispute over eight dollars. In Cozier’s case, it was 50 cents.

“You should not have been in a place where a lot of roughnecks dwell, why didn’t you go to the police?” asked the judge.(KW)