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by pltm
(PLTM) - A High Court judge agreed with the defense and prosecution that the murder conviction of Kenyatta Boynes does not require him receiving life imprisonment without eligibility of parole.
Today, Monday, February 6, Justice Nicola Byer sentenced Boynes, known as Yhats, to life imprisonment with eligibility for parole in 30 years for the execution style murder of Paul Prentice on Waterfront Drive in December 2014.
He was also sentenced to 10 years in prison for the attempted murder of another young man in the same incident. However, the time spent on remand will not be taken into account for this charge.
Justice Byer also indicated that the murder and attempted murder sentences will run concurrently, but today's sentence will run consecutively with the sentence he is currently serving for a separate offense involving a firearm.
Murder carries an automatic life imprisonment sentence; however, with the Parole Act, a judge can order a minimum time the convict will serve before he/she can go before the parole board to seek early release.
Justice Byer in handing down her 22-page sentence, commented, "...One cannot exact revenge as that is not the sentencing role of a civilized society. We can only seek to punish for a crime according to law and leave the rest to the perpetrators conscience..."
Boynes was represented by Attorney-at-Law Patrick Thompson and prosecution by Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms. Kim Hollis, QC and Senior Crown Counsel Leslie Ann Faulkner.
The crown had contended that Boynes, on the night of the shooting, went to Aaron's Car Rental on Waterfront Drive to shoot and kill the other young man, but at the time, Prentice, 22, was also sitting on the porch.
During the shooting, Prentice was killed as he was running for his life. The intended target, the other young man, escaped injury.
It was the crown's case that Boynes wanted to kill the young man over a handful of missing marijuana.
The young man was the prosecution's star witness and he told the court that he saw the shooter's eyes and it was Boynes. He also said that he saw that the shooter had dreadlocks.
The shooter's face was partially hidden.
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