Senior Reporter
A man from Arima has pleaded guilty to killing an elderly neighbour who resisted during a home invasion in 2010.
Keston Liverpool was awaiting trial for murder and robbery with aggravation for well over a decade before he was allowed to plead guilty to felony murder based on a plea agreement with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) negotiated by his lawyer Michelle Gonzales, of the Public Defenders’ Department (PDD).
Under the felony murder rule, the mandatory death penalty is waived in circumstances where death occurs during the commission of a lesser criminal offence, which in most cases is robbery.
The plea was accepted by High Court Judge Hayden St Clair-Douglas during a hearing yesterday morning. Liverpool is expected to be sentenced on May 21.
Liverpool was accused of killing 70-year-old Alborne “Abu” Roberts on December 2, 2010.
Roberts was asleep at home at Malabar Road, Arima, with his common-law wife and his grandson, who lived with them, when they were awakened by two masked men, who broke in.
One of the men had a gun, while the other had a knife and kitchen fork.
The duo threatened the family and demanded that they reveal where they kept their cash and jewellery.
The men took their cellphones, a laptop, $300 which Roberts’ wife kept under her pillow, her wedding band off her finger and a small quantity of jewellery.
While the duo continued to ransack the house, Roberts reportedly drew a cutlass he kept under his bed and lunged at them.
Roberts was shot several times before the men ran away with their loot. Roberts died on the scene.
Liverpool was eventually identified by Roberts’ grandson, who claimed that he briefly recognised him after the T-shirt covering his face slipped while he was searching the house.
Roberts’ grandson also claimed that he overheard Liverpool, who he knew by the alias Kwesi, speaking with his accomplice and recognised his voice as he had seen him in the community twice a week for seven to eight years.
After Liverpool was arrested and positively identified, he was taken to his family home in the community where investigators found some of the stolen jewellery in his bedroom.
During the search, Liverpool reportedly attempted to escape by running through the back door but was promptly apprehended. His accomplice was never arrested.
Liverpool was also represented by Ayanna Norville-Modeste.
