Clarence Hemmans convicted of murder
Clarence Hemmans
It has been a while since a guilty verdict has been handed down in a murder trial and today the family of Kevin Arnold who was gunned down in Belize City three years ago is taking comfort in receiving justice. On Sunday, May twenty-seventh, 2007 Arnold was in the area of Los Cocos Bar on Armadillo Street when he was approached by a lone gunman on bicycle who fired several shots at him. In an emotional testimony Shiana White, girlfriend of Kevin Arnold, recounted that she was waiting for him when she observed twenty-one year old Clarence Hemmans approach him. She further testified that Hemmans pulled out what appeared to be a silver handgun and fired multiple shots at Arnold. When Arnold fell to the ground Hemmans reportedly stood over him and continued firing. When the ordeal was over the gunman rode his bicycle past White who claims to have seen his face clearly. Hemmans who was accused of committing the murder three years ago was today found guilty by a jury of two men and ten women in the Supreme Court of Justice Troadio Gonzalez.
During the trial Hemmans’ age came into question as Justice Gonzalez asked court prosecutor Yohhahnseh Cave if he was seeking the death penalty. Attorney Phillip Palacio, who represented Hemmans, requested that the court consider his age as a mitigating factor before sentencing. It was unclear whether Hemmans was seventeen or eighteen years old at the time he committed the crime. Clarence Hemmans will be sentenced on June first.
do not make the mistake of letting him off i say it is time to hang him make an example of him
HANG THE B****! HE WASNT TOO YOUNG TOO SHOOT AT SOMEONE, HE HAD THE B*LLS FOR IT… LET HIM GROW SOME MORE TO BE HANGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I log on to my computer from time to time to catch up with the news from Belize. However, it really saddens me when I read such horrific stories of how some young men in Belize City seems hell-bent on destroying their lives; as well as the lives of hard-working people.
My recollection of growing up as a child in Belize City was happy, carefree and safely running around my neighbourhood.
Something must be done to keep the youth from criminal activities. Presumably these young men are from broken homes, and feel somewhat dissolution and excluded from society.
Perhaps the government needs to approach this problem by identifying (the troubled younsters) them early from the Primary School level and offer some sort of psychological intervention and secondly those youths who are between the ages of 16-21 and are neither in work or education are drafted into the BDF. I know there will be some saying we’ve got no money for this, but you still need to spend money when you have to house them in prisons.
These young men join gangs to have a sense of belonging. The culture of absent fathers or parents abandoning their children to fend for themselves, whilst they leave to the US are also factors that needs to be address.
I am not wanting to be hard on anyone, because crime is not exclusive to Belize, its everywhere. However, I think what bothers me most is that in a small city like Belize its like family killing family. I seem to recall that we’re all related in some sort of way through marriage or genetics We need to bring back that sense of caring and respect that was once there.
DEATH PENALTY! PLEASE
Back with Capital Punishment now and HANG it quick, NEXT…….
HANG HIM HIGH ! its about time
You only have to look to your neighbors in the North (USA) to see that the death penalty is not a deterrent for someone with murder on their mind. Of course one would imagine that with the USA’s three strikes and your out or death penalty, the prisons up and down the country would be empty. Infact, quite the opposite is the case.
The reason being is that each and every one of them genuinely believed that they wouldn’t be caught. The other phenomena is that when you speak any prisoner they are almost always eager to declare their innocence.
Violence breaths more violence! By bringing back the death penalty you’d be going backwards. What you need as I have said before its more investment in your young men (Belize’s future). Not criticisms. We can stand by and watch Rome burn, as we point fingers, criticise, and make unhelpful negative comments. What is really needed is actions from the grassroots, lobbying the government and reconnecting to the youngsters in your neighborhood.
The churches need to also play their part in this campaign.
I really think that our Youth need to be more educated about street/gang violence. Please do not spoil this young mans life with a Death Penalty. Belize Youth keep being a follower instead of being a leader and their leader is no example to our society.
I agree,death penalty,make an example for the rest of killers.
DEATH PENALTY!
LIFE w/ HARD LABOUR!!!!!
Nothing less…..
Give him the death penalty if he man enough fi stand over the man and kill ah well he man enough to deal with the consequence. somebody have to be made an example for all the other out there killing innocent people all over the country .
I AGREE, DEATH PENALTY PLZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…….despite his age, the point is AT THE AGE HE DID THE CRIME…..HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH RIGHT FROM WRONG!! don’t be fooled……..he ended someone else’s life already…..he can do it again…….once again…don’t be fooled!!!
I know some people will say that if the gov’t bring back the death penalty, then there will be some innocent people who will get hanged but this gu will be a perfect example. He is found GUILTY so hang him. If they hang this guy; I bet that killing will decrease. He got the guts to stand over a man to take his life. Let him feel what it’s like to never see tomorrow.
I mean those killers does not hurt the decease you know but they hurt the love one of the dead person. The youths have to know that if you hate a person, you sholud always remember that there are a lot of person in the society who love your enemy dearly.
ALTHOUGH I HAVE LIVED IN THE STATES FOR THE PAST THIRTY YEARS THE SENCE OF LOVE AND FAMILY HAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE THE SAME,HOWEVER WITHOUT INTERVENTION THE FUTURES OF ANY AND ALL OF OUR YOUTHS CAN AND WILL BE WITHOUT SELF WORTH AND SELF RESPECT,I BELIEVE THAT THE PUNISHMENT SHOULD FIT THE CRIME,AND THAT IF THE CRIME WAS COMMITED WITH MALICE THAT THE CRIMINAL SHOULD SUFFER,THEREIN TEACHING SOCIETY THAT WE WILL NOT ALLOW THESE THUGS TO CONTINUE POISONING THE MINDS OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION HANG HIM HANG HIM DID I FORGET TO SAY HANG HIM
did anyone stop to wonder whats going on in his life…. did anyone know what kevin did to him…..nooo dont be too quick to judge