The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Court Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A WOMAN has had her 28-year sentence for her involvement in the murder of Breanna Mackey reduced to manslaughter with 15 years behind bars.

Court of Appeal judges Sir Michael Barnett, Justices Isaacs and Bethell decided the ruling on the appeals cases of Zaria Burrows and Dervinique Edwards after their previous conviction for the murder of 19-year-old Breanna Mackey.

Breanna died on January 25, 2018 on Key West Street when Burrows and Edwards were driving in a car with four other people.

Burrows was the driver and Edwards a passenger sitting in the back seat. The other passengers were Thea Williams (“Williams”), Matia Sylverian, Yolika Severance and Dwanya Lawes. While driving Williams saw Breanna walking on the road. Burrows drove her car quickly to catch up with Breanna and stopped it in a manner that prevented Breanna from getting away.

A number of the occupants got out of the car and began attacking Breanna, some threw stones and a bottle at her. Thea Williams took out a knife, which was in her bag, and stabbed Breanna a number of times. They then got back into the car and fled the scene.

Breanna would later be pronounced dead by Emergency Medical Services at the scene.

In their ruling on the two women’s appeal the judges wrote: “I accept that the trial judge put to them a manslaughter verdict as an alternative to murder if they were satisfied that Burrows only intended to injure and not to kill Breanna. However, in my judgment the directions of the judge did not in the clearest terms put to the jury that it was a critical factor in determining whether Burrows had an intent to kill, and Burrows’ knowledge that Williams had a knife at the time of the incident.

“It is for this reason that I am satisfied that the verdict of murder with respect to Burrows is unsafe. As the evidence is clear that Burrows knew that they had an intention to injure or harm Breanna, I would substitute a conviction for manslaughter in place of the conviction for murder.”

In view of these assessments and taking into consideration Burrows’ young age, being only 20 at the time of the incident, the court of appeals ruled to reduce her charge to manslaughter. The court also ruled that Burrows’ previous 28-year jail sentence be amended to 15 years to be served from the date of her conviction.

However, the appeals court confirmed that evidence presented to the jury found that Edwards participated in the attack on Breanna and knew that Williams had a knife and continued to attack Breanna after she was stabbed thus sharing the common intention of Williams to kill Breanna. As such they ruled to uphold Edwards’ murder conviction and had her appeal dismissed.