In 2011, he killed a teenager in a schoolyard brawl when he was just 17 - and tonight, after beating a previous murder conviction and a sentence of life imprisonment, Orange Walk resident Abimael Pott is at home, a free man. That's what Justice Colin Williams ordered after considering his sentence for two months. Pott was originally charged for murder but, back in May 2018, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Today, in a lengthy decision, Justice Williams commuted his sentence to time served. He said the sentence should have been 12 years, but took off 4 years because Pott pleaded guilty. Because there were no aggravating factors, Justice Williams subtracted another 2 years from the remaining 8. He then noted that Pott spent 7 years on remand, which actually exceeded the remaining 6 years by 1 year.
So, with that, the now 24 year old Pott was allowed to go home.
In May of 2011, he struck 19 year old Shamir Gonzalez with a metal pipe and killed him - because he was beating up a standard six student at Luisiana Government School. Pott was convicted of murder, but had appealed his sentence of life imprisonment. The Court of Appeal ordered a retrial - which is where he pleaded down to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Pott was represented by attorney Anthony Sylvestre while the Crown was represented by Crown Counsel Killeru Awich.
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