The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who fatally stabbed his 21-year-old girlfriend in their South Beach apartment in 2012 after she tried to leave him has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Trevor Smith, 54, remained silent in the prisoner's dock, his head bowed at several points, as Justice Jeannine Weech-Gomez sentenced him for manslaughter.

Smith stabbed Anthonique Hunter in the chest during an argument on October 10, 2012. Prosecutor Terry Archer told the court that Hunter wanted to leave the relationship and that the dispute ended with her being stabbed, her body wrapped in a sheet and the apartment locked. He said police had to force their way into the premises, with the landowner's permission, before Hunter's body was found.

Smith told police that Hunter came at him with the knife and that the stabbing happened after he disarmed her.

He was initially charged with murder, but a jury acquitted him of that offence and convicted him of the lesser charge of manslaughter in August 2025. Defence attorney Cassie Bethel said the verdict reflected a finding that Smith did not intend to kill Hunter.

After weighing the aggravating and mitigating factors, Justice Weech-Gomez found the 20-year sentence proportionate and not excessive. The sentence will run from Smith's conviction and will take into account the time he spent on remand before his trial, which prosecutors said was five months.

The court recommended that Smith continue to receive psychiatric care and medication, and that prison officials watch him for signs of self-harm.

During earlier sentencing submissions, Ms Bethel told the court that Smith had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder with psychotic effects, which she said affected his perception and judgement. Justice Weech-Gomez pointed out that the diagnosis was made after Hunter's death.

Ms Bethel said the diagnosis did not excuse Smith's conduct but should be considered when assessing his moral blameworthiness. She said Smith had been treated with antidepressants and antipsychotic medication while in custody and no longer hallucinates or reports homicidal or suicidal thoughts. She argued that his improved mental state showed he was capable of reform and eventual reintegration into society.

Mr Archer said there was no evidence that Smith had mental illness before the offence. He argued that Smith's depression and suicidal thoughts arose after his conviction and imprisonment.

The prosecution identified the seriousness of the offence, the use of a knife and the concealment of Hunter's body as aggravating factors. Mr Archer also referred to the prevalence of violence against women.

He said Smith had no right to kill Hunter because she wanted to leave him, and argued that her death could have been prevented if Smith had walked away. He acknowledged Smith's lack of previous convictions and his remorse, but argued that the aggravating factors outweighed them. He also said that although Smith had expressed remorse, Hunter's mother was forced to relive her daughter's death during the trial.

In its sentencing submissions, the defence acknowledged the seriousness of the offence and the intimate relationship between Smith and Hunter as aggravating factors. It said the mitigating factors included Smith's clean record, his employment history and the remorse he expressed in a letter dated August 17.