7 News Belize

10 Years In Jail For Killing Man Over A Flat Tire
posted (May 22, 2019)

24 year-old Paul Martinez, who has pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the July 2012 stabbing death of 18 year-old Raheem Smith, will serve 10 years and 2 months in jail for the crime.

That's the sentence that Justice Marilyn Williams handed him today after she heard his mitigation plea. He, his mother, his girlfriend, and his attorney, Oscar Selgado all made comments for the judge to consider why she should be lenient on him.

After consideration of the case, the evidence, and the mitigation plea, Justice Williams sentenced him to spend 20 years for the manslaughter conviction. She deducted 3 years from the sentence because he pleaded guilty and saved the court's time She also deducted another 6 years and 10 months, which is the time he spent on remand awaiting trial.

After all the calculations, he will spend 10 years and 2 months more in jail.

It'¢s a killing which stemmed from a simple matter: a bicycle's flat tyre. Martinez and Smith were friends and Martinez had borrowed Smith's bicycle on July 19, 2012. When Martinez returned with the bicycle, one tyre was flat. Smith told Martinez to patch it, but when Martinez refused, Smith allegedly punched him in the face. He left and returned with a knife. After a scuffle, Martinez stabbed him in his chest. The teenaged Smith died on the spot.

The Crown was represented by Senior Crown Counsel Sheneiza Smith.

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