Chief justice gives Estella’s killers longest life tariff
Estella Scott-Roberts
(CNS): Kirkland Henry (37) and Larry Ricketts (33) will serve minimum life sentences of 40 years for the murder of Estella Scott-Roberts after Chief Justice Anthony Smellie handed down his ruling Thursday, following the recent conditional release hearings for the two killers. These are the longest tariffs given to any killers currently serving life in HMP Northward. Describing the murder as “unprecedented in these islands”, CJ Smellie said it was “difficult to imagine more cruel and depraved treatment of a defenseless woman”, as he recalled the facts of the case he tried in 2010.
Henry was not in court, as he has now been diagnosed with a disillusion psychotic disorder, but members of Scott-Roberts’ family as well as many friends were present. Ricketts sat in the dock with his head hung as the chief justice read the ruling.
The country’s top judge found many aggravating factors in the crime. It began at around 11pm on the night of 10 October 2008 with her abduction in the car park of a West Bay Road restaurant, where she had been enjoying her birthday celebration with friends. He said she was subjected to the ordeal over a “terrifyingly long period of time” in the pre-planned and premeditated kidnapping, rape and eventual murder.
Kirkland Henry (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)
Explaining his decision for a ten-year increase on the 30-year murder tariff set out in the law, the chief justice said that in his view that term would fail to reflect the real gravity of the offence.
“The ordeal of terror and suffering inflicted upon the deceased by the offenders acting together from beginning to end is indescribable,” he said. “Their motivation was robbery for gain and rape, and even when they had achieved those terrible ends, they mercilessly killed the deceased, despite her helpless condition and pleas for mercy.”
In addition to the aggravating factor that the men had put the victim’s body in her car and set it ablaze to hide the evidence, the judge noted the images Henry had taken of her, recorded on his phone. CJ Smellie said that saving “the pornographic images as memorabilia of the terrible ordeal inflicted on their victim are further indications of the sheer inhumanity of their conduct”.
The judge said the crime called for the strongest condemnation by the court, as he handed down the four-decade term of incarceration.
Larry Ricketts (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)
However, both men are still serving life sentences. As is the case for all lifers, the tariff is a minimum term and not a release date. Once the men have served the 40 years, they will be permitted to apply for a parole hearing but there is no guarantee they will be released. That will be determined by the Conditional Release Board depending on the circumstances at that time, when the men will be in their mid-sixties.
The situation regarding Henry’s mental health was not a factor in the chief justice’s determination on sentence because there was no evidence that he was suffering from the psychosis at the time of the crime.
Soon after he was convicted, an assessment concluded he had an underlying personality disorder and his condition has deteriorated during his time in jail. According to the government’s chief psychiatrist, it is an inability to cope with his situation and facing up to the crime he committed that has created Henry’s disassociated and delusional state. As a result, he will be treated for the condition during his time at HMP Northward, the judge noted.
Mental health issues delay hearing for killers
Can someone tell me why we need to keep them here. Send them back! Let them serve their time in their own country’s! Feeding them for what? Giving them free medical for what? Send them back!
The money that is going to be spent on them can help balance the ever increasing budget.
The argument is that without agreements with their home countries they won’t serve time for their crime.
I get human rights and all – but feel the main people that benefit from human rights are the criminals. Sad but these are the cases where the death penalty is needed and while I’d want to see them stoned to death for the heinous crime they committed – I’d be satisfied with lethal injection just to know they are no longer on the face of this earth.
I am wondering how the Human Rights Commission that lobbed , and the Politicians that voted to abolish the death penalty would feel if Ms Estella was their daughter ?
Correction before the school teachers come after my comment.
“lobbyied”.
“lobbied”
School teachers don’t really care. It’s the thought process that counts, not the grammar – for the most part…
Again after thinking why the death penalty shouldn’t have been abolished. Look at the cruel inhumane act of crime that these inhumane scumbag criminals committed to Ms Estella .
They are in their 30s and got a 40 years prison sentence , then they would be about 70 years of age when released .
The going rate to keep a prisoner in prison $60 thousands per year for 40 years , that equals $2.4 millions each of Taxpayers money that would be wasted to keep these no use scumbags in prison , then they will be released at the of 70 years of age . What use would they be then to society and the economy then ?
What did the victim get ?
But look at the millions of Taxpayers dollars that would be save if Government had hire me to make that special silver thatch rope .
If it was your son, brother, nephew, uncle, what would you do, we are all humans, you wouldn’t want that to happen to you
Human rights for a whole society aren’t dictated by a single persons emotions. Be thankful for that.
I think in this case that vast majority agree on the gallows.
To look at this issue of the Human Rights Commission , and the Politicians saying yes to do away with the death penalty for these kind of hideous despicable crimes . That both of them thought more of the scumbag criminals Human rights , than the victim Human rights in their decision to do away with the death penalty .
I would still like to hear from them on the question , for instance if Estella was their daughter how would they feel ? I feel that the death penalty should be brought back for dealing with the kind of crimes like against Ms Estella and Humanity .
CNS: In 1991, the UK abolished the death penalty for murder in Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos Islands by Order in Council. This was long before the HRC was created and local politicians had no say. As long as Cayman remains a territory of the UK, there is zero chance that the death penalty will be reinstated.
My “thumbs up” was for CNS’s explanation, not the comments of the poster. If he wants to bring back a ghastly thing like the death penalty he should talk to the politicians and make them go for independence.
CNS , I know that the death penalty was demolished . But most of these kind of things that has been done , can be undone . When I said the Human Rights Commission and Politicians . I should have made myself a little bit clearer in why I was involving them in the comment. I can’t talk to England , but they can that’s why I pointed to them .
In this day and age we need to have a deterrent for crimes like Ms Estella crime , and the death penalty is the best.
Thumbs up to CNS not the OP
Bredren all, listen and look carefully and you might hear of the man behind the door, behind the door, behind the door
Yes, but the man behind the door has the protection of the dishonest legal system.
These scumbag Jamaicans should be put to death, 40 years is too long for these f#@kers to be around.
Your use of their nationality in your little rant is very telling.
Rant, those two XXXX could’ve been from Timbuktu, I wouldn’t feel any different after what they did. Save your narrow minded comments for other useful purposes. They deserved to be put to death, 40 years doesnt do justice.
What about the born Caymanian murderers Mr Mccarron McLaughlin…Lendsel, Blandford from 30 years ago, Bryan Powell, Jerry Christian, Mccandy Thomas, Devon Anglin…oh crap, i could go on for another three lines but just read the recent court reports. There’s plenty of our own Caymanian murderers so why mention the nationality of Estella’s murderers? They’re utter shits but so are our Caymanians. Should they also be put to death? Or is that reserved for Jamaicans?
They should all be put to death. An eye for eye.
As i was reading the article on Marlene Bovell Swanson i had a little chuckle because i muse at just how events and circumstance conspires to restore the equilibrium of natural justice. The PPM government and its minister was the same very government who pressured and harassed the same Estella Scott from her post at the Cayman Crisis Centre that they now hold up as an abuse/violence champion of our society.Yes the same government who installed this thief as a political favor for a certain political leader from the eastern Caribbean island giving them political assistance whom she was very friendly with. Aaah boy a dose of the truth. I say this to remind those who had a part in this beautiful child murder will answer for this horrendous crime. If you doubt it ask Marlene Bovell Swanson she is still paying for crime.
It’s called Karma.. she never forgets which door to knock on.
With a little bit of research, one learns of what you’re talking about…without the research, your paragraph doesn’t make much sense, at least not to the neophytes. Given the importance of what you share, you may wish to clarify this for those who are not acquainted with the tangled webs which some weave. I was personally unaware that Estella was harassed (of course she would have been)…now, these same characters/hypocrites take credit for what she stood for.
For those trying to make sense of this post, think the poster is probably trying to be careful and not slander or commit libel because even though many know what they are saying is true about her appointment being a favour to a friend, there is no proof but her crime is public record!
Ms. Swanson “somehow” got the job at the Crisis Centre after Estella “resigned” even though Estella was a true champion of women’s rights and protection and the driving force behind the Crisis Centre.
Ms. Swanson stole and was convicted of stealing $6,000 from the Crisis Centre, a non-profit organization.
She tried to smear the reputation of Mr. Len Layman by making up some weird story about him having some agreement with her to borrow money and repay it but not to tell other board members then later her story changes that the board members knew but chose to report her to the police!
Anyway, fast forward. She gets a law degree and whatever she was doing in Texas, she tried to recreate her life and registered as Marlene Bovell from United Kingdom.
When she applied for the Assistant District Attorney job, she put that she had never been convicted of any crimes.
I guess she figured since she put that she was from the United Kingdom, they would only do background checks there and they would do a background check on Marlene Bovell, not Marlene Bovell-Swanson.
Her crime caught up with her. They found a conviction in the little tiny overseas territory called the Cayman Islands for a Marlene Bovell-Swanson, same age and physical description as this “Marlene Bovell”, who is the Asst. District Attorney in Harris county in Texas.
Thank you for clarifying for the audience, and adding a few additional tidbits that Google would not necessarily have provided.
Gotcha, makes sense now what the original poster was trying to articulate
Something not right about this murder. It doesn’t add up.
Should investigate who send those criminals to kill her …this what wrong in all this
Yes, and through all of this, I cannot help but feel the pain of her poor husband.
He must be distraught.
Thank you!!!!!!!!
Much is missing here folks!
I have been saying this doesn’t add up for years. I question WHO motivated the killers, why her specifically etc. That being said I believe the real suspect is still on the loose!
I am not a big supporter of the death penalty but if there was ever a time when I could be somewhat persuaded to change my mind it would be to put these monsters to death. They should suffer in the same was that Estella was made to suffer; but instead we have them at HMP Northward getting access to resources and services at the tax payers expense that we don’t even provide to law abiding residents that are in need of assistance. This whole thing is disgusting and I never want to hear about these monsters again.
I applaud you for saying this. Totally agree with you.
It cost to keep them. I am a working man less than 40,000 yearly, however I have a daughter & Miss Roberts is a friend from school & stood for morals, standards & equality for women. These men didn’t just rob her, they disrespected the women race on a unimaginable level. If I have to give an extra dollar to keep them until their death in a cage to protect my daughter & other women. I gladly give $101. Long live Miss Roberts morals & equality for women.
I agree that they should not be deported to Jamaica. They did not commit this crime in that jurisdiction, so Jamaican prison authorities would have no need (nor perhaps,desire) to keep them incarcerated for the next 40 years, with all the associated costs, etc.
Let them rot in Northward! This is one time that I’m for keeping other people’s scum in our penal system!!
With us not having the death penalty, they should rot in jail!!! Never being allowed out
CNS, as a friend of Estella’s may I humbly ask if you can either remove her photo or remove the photos of those two animals. Her photo should never be displayed in the company of their photos. It only adds to the painful memories of what they did to her.
In the US and other countries, media tends to try to shun giving exposure to killers, especially mass killers, so as not to promote their notoriety. While there is a purpose a for your story to contain photos of these animals, perhaps they have now had adequate exposure for this purpose and need not to be publicly “paraded” any longer. Please.
I do not believe this was a crime of chance; it was far too personal. I believe they were either paid to commit this crime or chose to commit it for personal reasons.
Yup. Exactly. Lots of missing information here. We need more to be able to see the bigger picture.
Send them to the torture chambers.
Whole heap of info missing and persons too lazy to dig.
This was a setup.
it was way too personal and this case should be revisited! The suspect is still out there.
The gallows is still there but used as accommodation for prisoners on remand awaiting trial.
If there was room to put the somewhere else it could be put into use in half an hour.
What puzzles me about these 2 murderers is the vile horrible almost personal nature of their crimes against Estella. They didn’t know her so it was all just chance encounter?
I always wondered the same, this heinous crime probably one of the worst in a couple of decades since probably Miss chi chi in west bay bless her soul. But how does this Happen that she is selected at random? Just odd and to think how horrible a death it was. Seemed almost personal. I dunno ….
Everyone knows what happened, but if the truth came out, the entire house of cards would come toppling down from the highest echelons of our society.
The powers that be rule behind the scenes, but God saw everything. Judgement will be meted out appropriately. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.
Garbage!
Why haven’t we deported these two? They belong in a jamaican prison!!!!
Well … if you deport these guys, Jamaica may give them an early release; or, they may break out of prison.
I read one of them had his head hung down in Court. Its a very sad situation. This is the result of following after our sinful desires. I do hope they repented and accepted Jesus as their personal savior from this nature. We are all destined to hell if we have not accepted God’s love gift of eternal life?
All they have to do is accept Jesus and all is forgiven, on to heaven for eternal life right? Gtfo here with that BS.
Shut up. That ignorance of yours is one of the reasons these bastards can do what they want.
Don’t deport them – that’s their wish – why should Jamaica keep them in their prison? That would be their wish!
she is with uncle quellon now in heaven…..glad to know justice has been served although sadly missed…rest in peace cousin!?
Those neck ties that they are wearing should have been a 12ft length of thatch rope soaked in salt water . After hearing about this hideious crime , I would say that the death penalty should be brought back for these kind of crimes , by hanging with the National silver thatch rope specially made for this purpose , and displayed by the Court House .
Cayman Christians out in force today. I don’t in any way condone what they did, and understand the feelings, but Christians here, really?
Douchebagery also out in full force today.
Would you please educate me in the area of Christianity and the death penalty?
Seems like you are a scholar in the issue of the faith of Christians.
Well, lets see now…An eye for an eye would be old testament and not for Caymans Christians, so it cant be that. “Thou shalt not kill”, that will work, except pretty much everyone on this thread wants to kill them. “Forgive those that Trespass against us”, as Jesus forgave Judas? Not in Cayman bobo. Selective Christianity here. Choose the bits that suit you when they suit you, not the overlying guidelines, nor the laws on killing. The irony is not lost…mob rule calling for killings when everything that mobs says they stand for, says you can’t do that. I am not talking about these two monsters, I am talking about the massively neuron challenged who cannot see the wood for the trees, or the idiocy of what they write. Its the same mentality that these killers came from. Whatever, not even the good Lord can fix stupid. Rest in Peace young Lady. I hope these sentences bring at least some sense of justice being carried out to your family.
The Bible says a life for a life they got off easy and are costing the law biding good folks 130,000 ci Dollars a year, that a shame.
There you go, selective memory…it also talks much more about forgiving and charity…but let that just slide, right? Doesn’t suit you today.
I think we can safely say that the bible is contradictory.
They should rub the full 40 years, then be hung live on Cayman 27 for all to see..
100%
Nice idea, but there won’t even be TV in 40 years
Hang them and then put them in jail. Put them in the cells with all the other asswipes until they rot.
We shouldn’t be feeding these piece of sh*ts. Government shouldn’t spend any more than $3 an hr on any prisoner. They need to be growing their own food and sleeping on cold concrete. Not to condone violence but I can only wish that they don’t see those 40 years out. Human rights are for humans not animals!
Time to bring real punishment to the murdering punks of this island. String them up. Rope is cheap and reusable.
Effective and environmentally friendly! I love it!
They need a network system so these criminals don’t enter these islands, bring in the fingure print system and have it network, have it in a way when they fingure printed at the airport eveything comes up on that individual! Bracka.
It’s one of the most tragic incidents that I will remember for a long time. I knew her and worked with her. She was an assuming, intelligent and true activist for social justice and protection of vulnerable victims’. What the two monsters did to her was cruel and simply unforgiving!
Perfect! Hope the both die in Northward! Hopefully Henry will go stark raving mad first! BTW, I bet our $$ paid for the shirts and ties they wore to court. Should have wrapped them in plastic garbage bags!!
Hope time and Jah justice catch-up with anyone else who may have been involved.
Let this be a lesson to our would be gang bangers.
Wish the gallows were still in operation. Hangman’s dance.
Thank you CJ. This is a strong message to other killers….these two evil devil’s (not men) will likely die in prison.
Free food, shelter, a place to rest their head for the kidnapping, rape and murder of an innocent defenseless woman. The very definition of “justice” describes it as equity, impartiality and fairness. It is not fair that Estella had to endure such an horrific attack before her life was cut short by these animals.
Don’t forget the decades of free health care!
Send Jamaica the bill!
After reading the article that sentence should have been 2 piece of thatch rope in that big geunip tree or another one by the Town Hall in George town for both of them worthless scumbags .
The Judges should have been handing out those 35 and 40 years life
sentences 50 years ago . Then maybe we would have less crimes and scumbag criminals today .
Good job Judge keep it up .
One should never judge a book by its cover, but their pictures say it all – low breeding. Poor Estella never had a chance with these two animals on the loose.
Low breeding?
I think what I was trying to say is that they look a tad inbred. Do they look like their parents were rocket scientists?
Disgusting animals. Th y should never see beyond the walls of their cells in Northward.
Because of this one incident, I have never deared to walk alone, regardless of day or night.
This is the type of savagery that is spilling into the Cayman Islands. Never in my life did I believe that when I moved here, Cayman would suffer such a tragic reality that we now find ourselves in.
Nothing wrong with them no metal health problems they have Satan in them no mercy on the Mr judge
Deportation Order? Alden????
No, those are only available if you steal a truck load of marl or two.
and are married to a born Caymanian.
What generation?
Second +
As much as I hate that our dollars will be used to feed them among other things I prefer knowing that they are at northward than being sent back to Jamaica. With all the problems that Jamaica is going through with their criminals I am not sure that they would even be able to keep them in prison for forty years. At least if they are here we can feel more assured that they remain locked up forever. These types of crimes are common in Jamaica, if you doubt me take a look at the gleaner newspaper. If it is true (I cannot remember now) that these two evil persons did yard work for Estella’s family then their sick minds were certainly not on doing their work but on wrecking havoc in this family and our community.
We have to be careful who comes to our premises to do anything. I had to terminate the company who was servicing my air conditioner because they kept sending a different person each time even though I told the owner that I did not like that. For the past two years the same technician comes. I did the same with the bug spraying company. I know I will never know everything about the person but I feel safer than a total stranger showing up every six month or so. Estella was one of our special ladies and these two animals treated her so horribly just just because they could. They should never see sunshine again. I do not know how to fully vet these types but every effort should be made to do so.
Don’t deport them – let them serve their time in prison.
Sure. But then deport them. Why no deportation order after sentence?