Cop breaks down as son’s alleged killer withdraws guilty plea, throwing case back to trial
A senior police officer broke down in court last Friday after her son’s alleged killer raised a claim of self-defence, forcing sentencing to be aborted for the second time in five years.
St Thomas farmer Cavell Thompson, who wears dreadlocks, was scheduled to be sentenced after pleading guilty to the stabbing murder of 29-year-old Sashane Sewell of Mahogany Hill, Dalvey, St Thomas, on July 18, 2020.
However, when the matter was called, King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie informed Justice Carolyn Tie-Powell that Thompson’s guilty plea could no longer stand due to recent developments. He explained that new instructions received from Thompson conflicted with statements previously given during interviews with the probation office for a social enquiry report completed in April.
“Counsel sought to reaffirm the instructions previously given, but those reaffirmations have not been forthcoming, and it appears that the offender is resiling from his position,” Champagnie said.
He noted that this was not the first disruption caused by a change in Thompson’s position. The defendant had earlier altered his plea after initially pleading guilty in the St Thomas Circuit Court before the matter was transferred to the Home Circuit Court for sentencing.
Champagnie, who was assisting the court for sentencing purposes and was not formally retained by Thompson, subsequently requested to be discharged from the case. The application was granted.
As a result, Thompson was remanded, and the judge ordered that the matter be returned to the St Thomas Circuit Court for trial. Thompson is to be assigned a Legal Aid attorney, and the case is scheduled for mention on January 7.
Meanwhile, Sewell’s mother, a deputy superintendent of police, who attended court expecting the matter to be concluded, broke down in tears upon learning that the case would, instead, proceed to trial.
She said she had hoped to finally gain closure and begin properly grieving the loss of her second son.
“I still cry every night,” she said, adding that she and her family had been unable to fully mourn his death.
According to reports, an argument developed between the men around 2:30 p.m. on July 18, 2020, during which Thompson allegedly stabbed Sewell.
Sewell reportedly ran but was pursued and stabbed multiple times before Thompson fled the scene.
He was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Thompson turned himself in to the Constant Spring police on August 1. He was subsequently handed over to the St Thomas police and charged.
It was reported that Thompson attacked Sewell after accusing him of peeping on his daughters. Sewell denied the allegation, and following his death, three young men reportedly accepted responsibility for the incident.
