QC: Gunman provoked in nightclub killing
Devon Anglin
(CNS): Devon Anglin was “provoked and humiliated” by Carlos Webster and his friends just before he gunned down his gang rival in a West Bay Road nightclub in September 2009, John Ryder QC argued on his behalf at a Grand Court hearing to decide how long Anglin’s life tariff should be. Webster was shot in the head at point-blank range on the dance floor of what was then the Next Level nightclub when there were some 300 people on the premises.
When Anglin appeared in court Thursday for a his conditional release hearing to set the minimum length of his life term, the crown argued that the circumstances surrounding the murder aggravated the crime, justifying an increase from the 30-year tariff defined in the law.
Cheryl Richards QC, the director of public prosecutions, said the shooting happened when the nightclub was full of people, causing fear and panic. As well as killing Webster with a shot to the head, two other shots were fired by Anglin; one hit Webster’s torso and another an innocent bystander, who was wounded in the stomach.
While Richards accepted that there had been provocation, she said it had not reached the level that would warrant a reduction in the tariff.
But Ryder, a leading criminal barrister from the UK who represented Anglin via video link from London, told the court that Anglin had been provoked. He pointed to the evidence at trial of the scuffles and fights in the club between Anglin and Webster and his friends.
Ryder argued that Anglin had been provoked and humiliated by the men in a nightclub in front of many people known to the men who were fighting, two of whom were thrown out by security because of the aggression shown. He said that when Webster spat in Anglin’s girlfriends face and made veiled threats on her life, Anglin took action impulsively, taking a gun from another man at the club that he knew and shooting Webster.
Ryder noted Anglin’s extremely troubled upbringing and the bullying and humiliation he suffered as a child due to the substance abuse problems of both his parents. At 18 he was attacked by another gang of men, who had fractured his skull and caused him serious injury.
Ryder told the court that, given Anglin’s background, combined with the impulsive nature of a 22-year-old man and the circumstances of the night, although he accepted that the location of the shooting in the club was an aggravating circumstance, the court could not ignore the level of provocation before the incident.
In addition to reports about Anglin, the court was also presented with correspondence from the victim’s family. Webster was killed when he was 35 years old and was the father of two children.
The case was presided over by Chief Justice Anthony Smellie, who adjourned the case to consider the tariff and a date is to be set for the delivery of judgment.
When I’m “provoked and humiliated” you know what I do?
Cry.
Everyone on here should go back and read all these comments and see just how wicked your own minds are. You are calling for murder of the born and the unborn, but saying that this young man is wicked for losing his control while you’ve made thoughtful, calculated comments.
These comments are what real wickedness looks like.
There is no justification to allow public funds to be used to fund foreign attorneys. It should be used for local representation only.
My boss provokes me whenever he can. Just for the fun of it. I haven’t killed him. Yet. But if this process reduces his sentence I may have to rethink! On the other hand we are supposed to be the superior animal on this planet, able to rise above animalistic reactions. People who do church are supposed to help and love every soul. Kinda failed to help this wretched soul Caymankind. Where were you guys?
Na say nothin
The Cayman Islands should still be sending lifers or prisoners of Category A offenses to Jamaica or the UK, as in years ago. H.M. Northward is known as “Hotel California”, even to solitary confinement prisoners. That is a name impressed for luxury and easiness compared to prisons in other jurisdictions. There is nothing deterring about knowing that is where they will serve their sentence. This is a reason almost guaranteed why these crimes are committed and repeatedly. Other nations have human rights also yet their prisons are a ‘world’ in and of themselves. Nothing luxurious or easy for near all prisoners.
They have sent 2 to the UK already and I don’t see why they dont send the others
I’m shocked at you! Didn’t you write a book about the absent father?
And you think it’s right to send human beings to deplorable conditions just because they are worse conditions they can live in?
You think that a prisoner should be subjected to inhumane conditions, just because they are prisoners? Patricia Bryan, I am horrified at your comment. But thanks for posting this, it shows the real you.
I just threw your book in the garbage too. The author’s not worth the paper nor the ink.
Free D…bless up
I’m sure Hitler was just provoked as well. Can’t blame him.
Hmmm…spit in my woman’s face and you will feel some immediate and severe physical pain – and I don’t have a background similar to Anglin in the least.
These were both street guys and the victim knew he was writing a BIG cheque with that move.
Jus sayin.
Please let him read all of these comments!!! Brilliant.
Free Devon!
death penalty = problem solved
Legalize abortion!
Mandate abortion!
Gots to recognise it.
People who advocate for death is equally as guilty as those who commit it.
It doesn’t matter whose death you are advocating for. Humans are humans and you are advocating for the murder of another human being. Because you’re anonymous and he was in a club in front of 300 people there’s really no difference between the murdering mentality here, except that there is a claim of provocation and yours is a coldblooded call for murder.
So many people on here are trying to portray the image of perfection, to be exempt from it, even though we all know that we have, at the least, broken something, said something under provocation but there those among us who are perfect individuals. That’s not what I see when in the traffic line when a mother with a cigarette in one hand reaches back and hits a child on the backseat with the other. That’s not what I see when parents hit their children in the supermarket for picking up an item that they’ve had before and expect to get again. That’s not what I see when I read these remarks either. What I see is a set of people who are so provoked by the suggestion that he was provoked that they would murder him, either themselves directly or by encouraging his murder through others’ actions.
I’m more comfortable in his company, thank you. At least I know that he has a problem, unlike those here who won’t admit that they have a wicked, murderous mind and might set me up for murder while hiding the fact that they don’t like me for whatever I’ve said or done.
To thine own self be true. If that were so, you’d not find the time to condemn others.
Bitches and Cowards , when I was that age , the fight was on , we didn’t hide behind guns , let him rot in there !
ohhh so you got provoked and got in fights too???? my, my, my…i wonder what would have happened if guns were available to your set “when you were that age”? that’s like saying an old weed head saying “i didn’t smoke no cocaine when i was growing up; i smoked my ganja” and when reflection is made coke wasn’t available but they were the biggest dopeheads in their district. what if coke was around back in their day? btw, my grandparents told me of vicious murders that happened in cayman, many of which have never been brought to court even though the old people knew exactly who did what. hanging slaves in hog sty bay or by bludgeoning your wife “the big white hog” to death are murders too. i’m really glad guns weren’t readily available to you in your day – didn’t seem to you had a hesitation to violence…only God knows what your actions would have been
Tears of a clown.
Who is paying for the leading criminal barrister to defend this guy?
Public purse, I assume.
Not kidding – John Ryder QC is a Band 1 barrister – that wont have been cheap for the taxpayer.
He going ryde dis pony, memba dat.
Well neither is the cost of putting him in jail for 30 years, but those are costs that as a civilised society we need to pay for.
What a useless comment. We all know this. Let us bitch in peace.
Only the best is worth it when you are passing out free money.
Hope not us. He should rot in jail, no provocation warrants a cold blooded killing.
Do you even understand what provocation means u idiot? Hot-blood and coldblooded are two different things, practically opposites in fact. All you losers on here need to get your heads out of your asses and stfu cuz you’re all morons. Read the article again, objectively fool.
How many people have you killed after being provoked??? You’re an idiot! You should be made to spend your lufetime in the same cell as that monster!
I’m actually quite a bright young man, fairly handsome, sociable, comical and easy going but if I went to a club and someone(s) came and “assaulted me, spit in my gf’s face and made threats on her life”, after having my “skull fractured and caused serious injury” at a nightclub by a “gang of guys” previously under seemingly identical circumstances, I would feel “provoked and humiliated” and probably end up in there for some type of “offence against the person” myself.
We are but as irritating as it is, it’s better that he have a top brief and lose with no chance of appeal than have some clown screw up his defence and then see him walk because he had an unfair trial…
Already convicted – it was a hearing to set his tariff. He wasn’t going to be walking anywhere.
I wouldn’t be so sure about that… You do know that provocation reduces murder to manslaughter don’t you? And this sounds like a classic case of it to me, if I’ve ever heard one, and to quite a high degree without a doubt. There are few stronger forms of disrespect than spitting in someone’s face, much less a female’s. If looked at thru objective eyes, this is more of a spontaneous manslaughter than actual malice aforethought murder and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the court recognize that if this case is objectively scrutinized without prejudice.
I’ve never been in another night club since this happened and I wasn’t even there that night. Not only did he end a life, he ended the business I gave to all night clubs on the island. Yes, personal deduction, but I wonder how many others are like me.
That is a true tough guy!
Provoked?! I don’t give a rat’s you-know-what if he was pinched on the bonkey or spit in the face. He is a murderer. Lock him up and keep him there. Maybe after Brexit we can re-introduce the death penalty in Cayman!
Aww diddums. Poor Devon. My heart bleeds.
Boo hoo Devon was made fun of. So this gives him a reason to kill someone and injure an innocent bystander? I hope that his sentence isn’t reduced. He had choices he could have made…be a decent person or a piece of s..t..he chose to be a piece of s..t. Case closed!!!
“Given his background combined with the impulsive nature of a 22-year-old man and the circumstances of the night, Ryder told the court that while he accepted that the location of the shooting in the club was an aggravating circumstance the court could not ignore the level of provocation before the incident.”
? Oh please! If this fool is that impulsive, his sentence should be changed…..to TWO life sentences. Keep him locked up, throw away the key, and weld the door shut. Good riddance!
Oh poor little man…someone picked on him? Grow a pair and get on with your life rather than ruining it. LOSER
Sob story. Max that term for this sort of scum. Society wins.
Boo hoo we all go through shit in our lives, that doesn’t give anyone an excuse to execute people
“…combined with the impulsive nature of a 22-year-old man…” So what is the age, that we as society, can entrust a fellow human to act civilized?
Someone made fun of him so he blew their head off in a packed night club… If the key to his cell hasn’t already been destroyed please do so NOW!!!
Exactly! Spot on.
Jeez. If everyone who was ever provoked and humiliated started killing, Earth’s overpopulation would have been solved.
Parents, teach your children coping skills.
Maybe if you knew this man’s background you would know he wasn’t taught any….he is a product of his environment just like the individual he killed.
It’s a nasty cycle these young guys get caught in. Eye for an eye mentality…..will leave the whole world blind. They just don’t see the bigger picture, couple ignorance with a lack of respect for human life…you get this type of person. We say monster, he would say he’s a survivor.
Life in prison? Not much of a survival…
Well that sounds like,a reason for him to remain locked away. You should be his attorney
Almost everyone on the planet survives without resorting to murder, or violence or even crime. He’s just another dumb loser.
All your “defending” him does is reinforce that he should remain locked up and not be out amongst decent human beings.
Not defending him at all. Only showing you why people turn out like this.
If we can rid the cancer in society that warps people like this we could not only save lives but also money. It’s a mentality change that is needed.
If the youth think they can solve their problems with a loaded gun versus a pen and book or an exchange of dialogue then we have failed as a people; as a society.
This is not unique to Cayman, it’s a global issue.
Legalize abortion!