Two men charged in the 2021 killing of Ogle taxi driver Kenrick Trim have been sentenced in the High Court, with Kenty Bacchus ordered to serve 30 years’ imprisonment and Seyon James receiving a 20-year sentence.
The sentences were handed down on Wednesday by Justice Navindra Singh, who also addressed James’ decision to change his plea. James, who had originally pleaded not guilty, returned to court earlier to enter a guilty plea. The judge confirmed that the change was made voluntarily and without pressure before accepting it.
Bacchus, meanwhile, was sentenced after the court began from a higher starting point. Justice Singh commenced sentencing at 40 years, then applied reductions that took into account Bacchus’ guilty plea and expressions of remorse.
The court reduced the sentence by one-third for the guilty plea, applied a further reduction for remorse, and granted an additional deduction under a plea bargain arrangement.
However, the judge also added four years as an aggravating factor, noting the loss of what the court described as a hardworking and innocent victim. Bacchus’ final sentence was set at 30 years, with the time he has already spent on remand to be deducted.
In a probation and welfare interview conducted for the court, Bacchus expressed regret about the killing. “I feel very sad to know that an innocent person’s life has been snatched away. The deceased did not deserve to die in such a manner. Until now, I am in deep regret,” he said, according to the report.
The court was also informed of Bacchus’ background, including that he is 38 and the father of three minor children, as well as his criminal history. Records referenced during sentencing indicated previous convictions for offences including robbery under arms and narcotics possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Prison Service records also reportedly outlined disciplinary issues, including contraband violations, assaults, an attempted escape and the use of an improvised weapon. Community feedback gathered during the report’s preparation also painted Bacchus as frequently involved in disputes.
The matter stems from events investigators said unfolded on the day of the murder, when Bacchus and James were in Georgetown before hiring Trim for a trip. Prosecutors alleged that after the men entered Trim’s vehicle, he was attacked in the Ogle area, choked and stabbed multiple times, before being robbed of jewellery, cash and his cellphone.
Police later acted on information that led them to a Kingston Street location, where Trim’s cellphone was reportedly recovered in Bacchus’ possession. Bacchus was arrested and questioned, and investigators said he admitted his involvement and later named James, who was subsequently arrested.
The two men, however, gave differing accounts about who inflicted the fatal injuries. Bacchus reportedly told investigators that James choked the driver and later returned to the vehicle, insisting the driver had to be killed because he saw James’ face.
James, on the other hand, admitted involvement in the robbery but denied carrying out the stabbing, claiming Bacchus was responsible for choking Trim and stabbing him.
The prosecution was conducted by Simran Gajraj, assisted by Christopher Belfield and Geneva Wills.
