UK Privy Council Reduces Murderers’ Sentences
[Updated] Convicted killers Ze Selassie and Jermaine Pearman had their prison sentences reduced by the UK Privy Council in London.
Ze Selassie was convicted of the murder of 14-year-old Rhiana Moore, while Jermaine Pearman was convicted of killing 23-year-old Shakeya DeRoza.
Selassie was initially sentenced to 35 years, and in 2011 the Bermuda Court of Appeal reduced that to 28 years. Jermaine Pearman was originally sentenced to 25 years, and the Court of Appeal reduced that to 21 years. Both men have now had their sentences reduced further by the UK Privy Council.
The judgment said, “The Board will humbly advise Her Majesty to allow both of the appeals to the extent of reducing the periods of imprisonment to be served prior to eligibility for release on licence to 25 years in the case of Mr Selassie and to 15 years in the case of Mr Pearman.”
Update 1.28pm: A Government spokesperson said, “The Government will review the Privy Council ruling and consider the impact on our law and sentencing regime. This decision does not, however, impact on the Government’s commitment to address the gang issue through community outreach programmes and the support of strong enforcement action on the part of the Bermuda Police Service.”
The judgment from the Privy Council is below [PDF here]:
Read More About
Category: All, Court Reports, Crime, News
This is effing crazy.. murders get less time then drug convictions… those nasty guys should spend the rest of their lives in jail and be made to look at the autopsy photos of those girls they killed until their last breathe.. both of those men have several previous convictions for rape and child molestation and there is not a hope in hell that they will be any better wen they get out then they were yrs ago.. this is jus crazy.. the law doesn’t want to deal with them so wen the get out and someone kills then in retaliation they will be in the wrong.. wtf I dont even kno wat else to say.. its a cryin shame..
Well what do you expect, it is after the system!!!
Yes but the system can be and needs to be changed. We cannot blame the Privy Council seeing our laws specifically state what the mandatory time to be served actually is under these two circumstances.
What is most bothersome is the ignorance displayed by the local judges including the Court of Appeal. Having read the judgment it became apparent that the law only allowed minimum sentences of twenty five years and fifteen years respectively. Really simple.
The AG needs to amend these laws ASAP.
what a load of total cr@p
This is so sad….
SICKENING!!
This is horrible !!!!!! we need to break all ties from Britain and have our own laws that allow hanging and flogging.
Don’t blame them, blame us. They are only interpreting our laws.
And if it wasn’t Britain, it would be another higher court. At least the British are pretty sensible. USA has 4% of the world’s population and 25% of its prisoners, let’s not go down that route.
He killed a 14 year old girl and they feel sorry for him. throw away the key and don’t ever let him out. Life in prison to me should be life in prison, which means to the day they die not 15, 25 or 35 years, until death do they part.
he killed two people.. the girl, and her baby.
Exactly! He should have been charged for two counts of murder. When I think of all the money we tax payers are paying for his upkeep (and his appeal) it sickens me. Some dogs really should just be put down.
lol Wow, why don’t you just free Selassie and stop wasting taxpayers funds on this waste of life.
these guys should never see the light of day that one that killed the 14 year old girl should be put to death to think he will be back on the street sometime to do it over again send him to an oversees prison to do some real time
infact I think it is time for the government to save some money and outsource the prison
They both deserve the death penalty! Simple.
I agree, put them both down.
How in the hell could anyone come to the conclusion that this piece of s#&t should have his sentence reduced AGAIN??He wasn’t even charged with statutory rape or murder of a fetus,we should cut these limey fools loose.And to imagine international business cites the privy council as the reason they don’t support independence.Glaring injustice like this destroys any credibility the privy(toilet)council may have had, shame on them and anyone who supports them.
And what did you say when they hung Larry and Buck Sage; or were even born.
It’s Bermuda’s laws that the they’re abiding by! While this may seem like a bad decision it is a legally responsible one. The Privy council is so important to Bermuda as it protects us from government corruption! So instead of getting emotional people should look at the actual facts and laws behind these decisions.
This is absolutely absurd!!! I know its the system and the laws we live by but surely henious murders such as these should be the exception. Ze and Jermaine need not see the light of day.
I gives the wrong message and this is why we have such a high rate on criminals reoffending.
If they do get out early, hopefully someone will do to them what they did to others.
this bastard not only killed a 14 year old he also kiiled her unborn child as well that was his …..THESE LAWS SMH!
Hey Bermuda we need to walk on this Injustice! Its one thing to murder, but in the way these guys murdered their helpless victims is another thing! I highly doubt they are sorry for what they did. What a shame and sad day for Bermuda!
Why is it taking so long to change our laws so that a life sentence means a life sentence? Not 15 years or 25 years!! Life meaning these animals DIE in their cages!
SIP Shakeya and Rhianna… Praying for the family.
great post
This is the worst news I’ve read all week/ maybe all year!! Those murders were chilling and hurt the entire community!! Praying for the families involved!!
If we had the chair I’d personally throw the switch for these two.
@Paul
I wouldn’t suggest removing all ties from Britain in connection with your comment because they’re undergoing a bill right now that is suggesting bringing back the “hanging”, the so called life for a life scheme.
Source please? There is zero chance of Britain bringing back hanging, thank god.
Come on we need o stop allowing this type of nonsense we talk way too much ! This could have been our daughters the families of these beautiful young women. Who were selfishly taken way too soon ! I’m deeply sorry but Bermuda people we must not stand for this any more we must voice our opinions we must write letters we must do all we can to show that we as a ppl do not agree! We are on the fast track to Hell may God be with us all!
looks like Pearman ‘beat’ the system again.
This is what happens when we have people, who are out of touch with OUR reality making decisions for us. All the Privy council is in my humble a bunch of sympathisers. In doing a little research I have never seen where they have increased a sentence in recent memory.
As unfortunate and horrible to hear, CBA is correct, the Privy Council based their decisions solely on the interpretation of the legislature. Their decision is unbiased and therefore they have nothing to gain.
“A legislative maximum, submits the Director, disables the court from discharging its duty to make the punishment fit particularly heinous examples of the two crimes, such as (so the Court of Appeal in each case found) those perpetrated by the two appellants.”
Therein lies the problem. Unless this is rectified, be prepared for further sentence reductions in other murder, premeditated or not, cases.
Unbelievable!!!! I hope the Government does “review the Ruling and consider the impact on our law and sentencing regime”. I, as a lawabiding citzen, am now saying to myself why waste my time assisting, if i could, in any crime I see committed when crap like this happens. It almost feels like a waste of time, money, energy, etc.
RIP Shakeya and Rhiana. Praying for the families.
Wish there was something we could do to change this Ruling.
“A Government spokesperson said, “The Government will review the Privy Council ruling and consider the impact on our law and sentencing regime. This decision does not, however, impact on the Government’s commitment to address the gang issue through community outreach programmes and the support of strong enforcement action on the part of the Bermuda Police Service.”
What does this have to do with gang violence?? These are specific cases regarding violence against women resulting in homicide. One case resulting in the death of the baby he produced with a minor. Seriously, what is the relation? Were Ze or Jermaine gang members? What am I missing? Is this the larger picture? Violence against women is not important but gang violence is? This patriarchal BS on all of our law books has got to go. I don’t even have children yet, but it makes me ask, “Who is going to protect my daughters from this system?? From MEN like these and the privy council?” when as her mother, I am clearly viewed as less than based on these rulings? Answer me this…
Watching and waiting for comments from those who have steadily defended the Privy Council for Bermuda as part of our attraction to international business and investors. Or is the Privy Council only good when they’re supporting the Auditor General against some folks you like to hate (remember 2007)? Its the same group of out of touch Brits in both cases. Spin this, why don’t you….crickets…tree frogs…..silence.
Why??? That’s about all I can ask-Why???
Why??? That’s about all I can ask-Why??? What a slap in the face to the families of the deceased.
I wonder how these Privy Council members would feel if it were their child?
If I understand correctly, the appeal is against the amount of time that has to be served before the defendants can appeal for parole. Legislature stated that a person convicted of premeditated murder must service at least 25 years before the Appeals Court will entertain (hear) their appeal. Persons convicted of murder must serve at least 15 years before the Appeals Court will entertain (hear) their appeal for parole. The sentencing stated that Selessie had to serve 35 (then reduced to 28) years before he would be eligible, and that Robinson would have to serve 25 (then reduced to 21) years before he became eligible. This was against what the legislature stated, even with the use of the phrase “at least”. Thus, the UK Privy Council reduced the time to be served. Keep in mind that this does not guarantee that they will be released or have a reduction in time at that point. It only means that they will be eligible for it. The Appeals Court will still be responsible to granting or denying that appeal.
Why does killing two people not result in twice the minimum time before parole eligibility? Afterall, Rhianna was pregnant at the time…
These people don’t want to have anything to do with the UK until it’s for their betterment, UK law makers are a bunch of pessimists and we are getting No gotten to their standards.
35 years i would like to see these murders get 135 years.
Why do we have police and laws? waste of time and effort:(
Wow! Oh well you might as well release them now! Why waste tax payers money keeping them in jail? If your not going to kill the killers by hanging them or giving them a lethal injection, you might as well let them free.. They are in jail still living while these girls are dead.
They should do all of their time
Keep ya head up!
Lol
Keep ya head up if ya gottie sever it and hold it up with ya hands seen?
Appeals paid for by the tax payers! SMH
Why do local judges try to give longer sentences when it is contrary to our laws,knowing they would be reduced on appeal?Why would they not use other charges like statutory rape etc,and pile on consecutive sentences like they do in drug cases?Does anyone remember selassie’s arrest where a cop in a balaclava warmly embraced the culprit walking him slowly to a cop car as if he was consoling the guy?
I think this is a good time for some of our politicians to STAND UP and fefuse what this uk council is doing. Some one should say “We don’t care what the uk has to say these guys will never see the outside of a prison again!!! They will do fifty years on top of their time already served.
WE need someone to stand up on this one this is unacceptable!!
OBA are you reading this?
In memory of Rhianna.
I don’t think you are listening. These are our laws, it is solely a legal interpretation of them.
Don’t think this is some big brother UK act. In truth the UK couldn’t give a s*** about Bermuda, and given the love it gets back, who can blame it?
And I am mainly talking about sellasie he had already served time for a similar matter and was released. This is a reminer that we need to get that pedophile website up and running, people need to know if they are in jail or not, if they are on work release and where do they live and so on.
I cant even make any sense about this one. total ignorance. bda stand up!
Hurting each others feeling on opinions good or bad slowly killing me by a thousand cuts, will not get justice for the family, victims and readers reading our blogs. We should be brainstorming to help our country out so this type of situations will never happen again. Sending in our collective input document for a way forward in Bermuda. Everybody wins, I don’t die in vein like the victims just because we can’t get it together. Lover of Bermuda willing to make us count.
Maybe ill kill my sons daddy and see were I end up
Me I’d jz blow ze brains out and feel no way rapists should and deserve death esp when raping a youth them murdering them u deserve deathof it was my family i would be in jail for killing his a** trust and believe and stand in front of a judge proud of what I done
She was 14, and PREGNANT?!