CoA adjusts life sentence of attempted murder convict

– grants parole eligibility after serving 15 years

The Court of Appeal (CoA) has altered the life sentence of Stafrei Alexander who was convicted of attempted murder by granting him the chance of parole after serving 15 years.
This ruling marks a significant shift from his original sentence, which offered no possibility of parole.
Alexander, 41, was convicted in June 2018 after a mixed jury at the Demerara High Court returned an 11-1 guilty verdict.
The case stemmed from a violent attack on March 23, 2015, when Alexander ambushed Curtis Thom at his Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown residence. Thom, who had been feeding his dog at the time, was shot multiple times thus suffering critical injuries to his back and side.
The severity of his wounds required emergency surgery and a prolonged hospital stay, during which Thom battled complications, including hemothorax—a dangerous buildup of blood in the pleural cavity.

At sentencing, Justice Sandil Kissoon handed down a life term without parole, emphasising the seriousness of Alexander’s actions. However, through his attorney, Dexter Smartt of Dexter Todd and Associates, Alexander appealed the ruling, claiming it was overly harsh and legally flawed.
Smartt argued that the trial judge failed to conduct a separate sentencing hearing, did not establish a structured starting point for sentencing, and neglected to address parole eligibility.
Additionally, he highlighted that the crime, while grievous, did not result in Thom’s death, making the life sentence disproportionate.
Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Diana Kaulesar-O’Brien, representing the state, defended the life sentence, asserting that it appropriately reflected the crime’s severity. She maintained that Justice Kissoon had considered both mitigating and aggravating factors, as well as Alexander’s criminal history, in his decision.
The appellate panel, led by Chancellor of the Judiciary (acting) Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and includes Justices Dawn Gregory-Barnes and Rishi Persaud, ultimately agreed with Smartt’s submission.
Justice Cummings-Edwards, delivering the court’s decision, noted that modern sentencing principles emphasise rehabilitation and societal reintegration.
“The consideration of such a factor accords with modern principles of sentencing and addresses the penological objective of rehabilitation and reintegration into society,” she explained.
The panel ruled that Alexander should be eligible for parole after 15 years, finding that the failure to specify a parole eligibility period during sentencing was an error.
“We [the court] believe that a minimum period of incarceration should have been specified. Having regard to all the cases before us, we believe that, in this regard, an appropriate period for parole should be 15 years,” Justice Cummings-Edwards added.
While Alexander continues serving time for this crime, his criminal record includes other notable convictions. He and his co-accused, Owen Belfield, were sentenced in April 2022 for the murder of businessman Richard Remington, whose body was found in February 2015 with gunshot wounds to the head.
Both men are serving sentences handed down by Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Demerara High Court.
Alexander also remains implicated in the 2015 murder of Linden businesswoman Shevon Gordon. During an alleged robbery outside her Wismar home, Gordon was fatally shot after resisting her attackers. Alexander, alongside co-accused Asdino Bowen—currently out on $750,000 bail—is awaiting trial in that case.
In 2017, Alexander was sentenced to two years in prison for escaping custody during a fire at the Camp Street Prison in Georgetown. The blaze led to a mass escape involving several high-profile inmates.
This recent appellate decision not only reshapes Alexander’s sentence but also signals the judiciary’s evolving stance on balancing punishment with opportunities for rehabilitation and reintegration.