The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

THE COURT of Appeal has affirmed the 20-year prison sentence of a man convicted of fatally shooting another man nearly five years ago.

In October 2016, Thomas Christopher Hield was shot in the head during an argument outside Berry’s nightclub in Abaco. According to court documents, people who witnessed the shooting said the victim was shot by someone sitting in a silver coloured Honda.

Lorenzo Pritchard, along with the driver of the vehicle, were later charged with murder. However, Pritchard was found not guilty of murder and was instead convicted of manslaughter.

He recently appealed his conviction and sentence on the grounds that his conviction was unsafe and unsatisfactory, and his sentence was too severe.

Justices Sir Michael Barnett, Jon Isaacs and Milton Evans yesterday dismissed his appeal after ruling there was “no merit” in the grounds of appeal advanced by Pritchard.

“The appellant alleges that the judge summed up the issue of provocation to the jury wrongly,” Justice Isaacs stated. “I have had regard to the judge’s summing up and I am unable to agree with the appellant’s assessment of her performance.”

Justice Isaacs added that the panel also concluded the judge’s sentence was not unduly harsh after reviewing the circumstances of the case.

“The appellant also complains that the sentence imposed upon him is unduly severe. By imposing a sentence of twenty years as of March 21, 2019, and by taking into account the remand time of about two years and five months, the sentence imposed by the judge was twenty-two years and five months.”

He continued: “I am satisfied that the sentence she imposed cannot be regarded as unduly harsh in the circumstances of this case. The sentence does not fall outside of that generous ambit within which disagreement may arise as to the appropriate sentence for manslaughter by provocation. There is no merit in the grounds of appeal advanced by the appellant. In the premises, the appeal stands dismissed. The conviction and sentence are affirmed.”