CASTRIES, St Lucia, Friday February 11, 2011 – A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of Police Constable Lester Garvin Remy who in 2008 became the first lawman to die in the line of duty in St Lucia.
High Court judge Kenneth Benjamin passed sentence on Mitchel ‘Bage’ Joseph on Wednesday at the end of weeks of pre-sentencing hearings. Joseph was found guilty on December 6 last year, after a two week trial, for the April 27, 2008 murder of the 27-yaer-old policeman.
Defence attorney Al Elliot has indicated he will be filing an appeal on behalf of his client.
Joseph, a father of one, has several previous convictions.
At the time of his death, Constable Remy had been in the St Lucia Police Force for 10 years and had been attached to the Major Crimes Unit.
On the day of the shooting, the officer had not even been on duty. He had been planning to go on a boat trip with colleagues when he saw Joseph who he wanted to speak to in connection with some several aggravated burglaries. After assembling some other officers, he went with a warrant to search for property at Joseph’s mother’s home.
According to the evidence given during the trial, when the police approached the house in their vehicle Joseph, who was standing just outside stepped back into the yard and Constable Remy jumped out and ran behind him.
It was while trying to detain the suspect that the young policeman was shot four times at point blank range.
