Ash, Bute sentenced to life in prison for Samuel’s murder

Redemption Sharpes residents Che ‘Ragga’ Bute, 29 and Azari ‘Heffer’ Ash, 23, will spend the rest of their lives behind bars.{{more}}

The men, who were convicted on July 27, 2011 for the murder of Lloyd ‘Lazarus’ Samuel, were sentenced to a term of life imprisonment on July 13, at the High Court by Justice Frederick Bruce-Lyle.

After the sentence was passed, Bute, dressed in all black, gave a slight smile, while his mother, who was seated in the courtroom, placed her hands on the back of a bench, hung her head and began weeping loudly.

Ash, on the other hand, kept a straight face and walked alongside Bute in handcuffs back to Her Majesty’s Prison.

Caseworker in the Ministry of National Mobilization, Camille McIntosh, in the Social Inquiry Report, noted that Bute’s prospects of rehabilitation were remote at the time.

Bute’s criminal record includes convictions for assault and wounding, among others. Ash, on the other hand, had only one run-in with the law, prior to his murder conviction.

However, the Social Inquiry Report done for Ash indicated that in time, he would be a good prospect for rehabilitation.

Both men have maintained their innocence in relation to the murder of Samuel.

Samuel was shot in his head on December 21, 2007 at Redemption Sharpes. He died a few days later at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.

Addressing the sentencing, Bruce-Lyle said while it was reported that both men had troubled childhoods, he is not removing from his mind that someone lost their life.

“This is a very serious matter. The jury was properly directed and 12 of them returned with a guilty verdict. I consider the age of the offenders and their troubled childhood, but there are others who have troubled childhood and turn out well …,” Bruce-Lyle said.

The judge said none of the men showed any remorse and the best place for rehabilitation for such a crime is at Her Majesty’s Prison.

“The aggravating factors outweigh the mitigating factors. This involved the use of a firearm and there is no dispute that Samuel died from a gunshot wound to the head … We are not going to trivialize someone losing their life,” Bruce-Lyle firmly stated.

Counsel for the men, Carlyle Dougan QC and Jomo Thomas have already communicated their intention to appeal the matter.