PHILIPSBURG--A nineteen-year-old man suspected of involvement in an attempted manslaughter case concerning a shooting in St. Peters on March 19 was sent to prison for eight years on Wednesday. A co-defendant was sentenced to 24 months for illegal firearm possession in the same incident.
Three weeks ago, the prosecutor rejected any self-defence pleadings in this case and called for nine years for suspect Angelo Ludwig Flanders and for a 30-month prison sentence for his partner in crime Jason Junior Arrindell (26).
Gunfire rang out on St. Peters Road in the vicinity of Santos Bakery around 2:45pm March 19, aimed at two men on a scooter. The victims were not injured and managed to escape on foot.
Both are also considered suspects in this case, as they exchanged gunfire with the two defendants. Victim M. is currently held in pre-trial detention in the Pointe Blanche prison and victim G. is detained in Guadeloupe on other, unrelated charges.
On August 4, Arrindell was sentenced to eight years for involvement in the attempted manslaughter of two persons during an attempted theft of a scooter in St. Peters on March 3. Two weeks later, he took his gun with the intention to use it again.
The shooting on March 19 occurred in a busy neighbourhood. One of the bullets that were fired landed in the bakery next door and Arrindell’s mother, who was also on the veranda, could have been hit, as well as other people in the vicinity.
According to attorney-at-law Shaira Bommel, there was insufficient evidence to connect Flanders with the gun violence and she said he should be acquitted. Stating there was too much room for doubt, she also said there was no evidence to consider possession of an illegal firearm proven.
In the court’s opinion, a compilation of visual material, which was shown during the October 6 hearing, provides a good picture of what happened just before, during and after the incident. In addition, Flanders was recognised by two police officers, who have had more dealings with the suspect in the past. The court said it has no reason to doubt these recognitions, which are sustained by victim M.’s statement against “Angelo” and by the report of forensic investigations.
Therefore, it was considered proven that Flanders shot with a firearm at two people who were driving past on a scooter, while these two were shooting at him and people in his vicinity.
The Court held it against Flanders that he did not hesitate to shoot with a firearm in broad daylight on a public road, that he did not open up, and did not want to take responsibility for his actions.
“My client is the victim in this case,” Arrindell’s lawyer Sjamira Roseburg said during the October 6 hearing in defence of her client, who did not deny that he owned an illegal firearm.
“Gunshots were fired at him and at other people in his vicinity, including his mother. He ducked away and did not shoot back. I request that you include this in your considerations,” Roseburg told the judge.
Due to extenuating circumstances, Roseburg recommended that her client be declared guilty without imposing a sentence.
According to the judge, Arrindell’s conviction in August shows that he is not afraid to pick up and use a firearm.
Camera images showed Arrindell following the escape route of the victims with a weapon in his hand. “The victims are lucky that the suspect has not found them,” the judge said in the verdict.
