By NICO SCAVELLA
Tribune Staff Reporter
nscavella@tribunemedia.net
A man admitted yesterday to stabbing an alleged sex offender at a bar following an altercation nearly two years ago.
Dino Pinto denied murdering Jeremy Petit-Frere on September 8, 2018, but instead pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Almost a year before his death, the 22-year-old Petit-Frere was charged with raping an 11-year-old girl.
Pinto’s attorneys, Ian Cargill and Anthony Delaney, are seeking an eight-year sentence for their client, as they are claiming he acted in self-defence.
Meanwhile, the crown, lead by prosecutor Kristan Stubbs, is seeking 18 years for the crime.
Justice Renea McKay adjourned the matter to March 10.
According to initial police reports, shortly after 1am on September 8, Petit-Frere was at the Pressure Point Bar on Tonique Williams Darling Highway when he was approached by Pinto who was armed with a knife.
Petit-Frere was ultimately stabbed about the body by the assailant, who fled into a nearby residential area after the attack, police said.
Paramedics were called to the scene to assist Petit-Frere, however he died at the scene.
At the time of the incident, Pinto, who is said to be an electrician/technician by trade, was playing music at the bar, where Petit-Frere was also socialising.
Petit-Frere was said to have taken some of Pinto’s equipment, namely his laptop and his cellphone, leading to an altercation that saw Petit-Frere slap Pinto. Pinto subsequently left the bar and went outside in the parking lot.
At some point, Pinto reentered the establishment and encountered Petit-Frere a second time in what would end up being the altercation that would claim the latter’s life.
However, the defence claims that Pinto acted to protect himself. The assertion is that when Pinto encountered Petit-Frere the second time, the man’s posture led him to believe he was going to be attacked.
As a result, Pinto attacked first and ended up killing Petit-Frere.
After the incident, Pinto voluntarily turned himself into police custody and cooperated with the officers during the investigation.
He further maintained that he did not intend to kill Petit-Frere and only found out the other man had died after the fact.
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