Convicted killer sentenced to sixteen years

The case against twenty-three year old Alex Palacio ended today in the Supreme Court with a sentence of sixteen years behind bars. On January thirtieth, Palacio, charged with the murder of twenty-one year old Wasani Belgrave, opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter. At two-thirty this afternoon, Justice Troadio Gonzalez began hearing mitigation pleas for the defendant. Palacio’s father, Alex Senior, spoke first and told the judge that he blamed himself for the crime because as a single parent he provided material care for his children but did not spend quality time with them. He also went on to apologize to the victim’s family, saying that he was sorry for their loss. Defence attorney Hubert Elrington then rose to remind the court that this was Palacio’s first offence. In handing down his decision, Justice Gonzalez thanked Palacio for not wasting the court’s time with a murder trial. He then emphasised that the crime of manslaughter can mean life behind bars, but in this case opted to sentence the defendant to sixteen years. On hearing his fate, Palacio hung his head. Palacio was arrested in 2005 after he stabbed Wasani Belgrave on Cesar Ridge Road following a misunderstanding between the two. After his court session today, the convict was escorted back to Hattieville Prison. Alex is the brother of Aniver Palacio, who was linked to several major crimes prior to his own shooting death in 2006.