Attorney To Appeal Brittany Jno Baptiste’s 27-Year Sentence

A 27-year prison term imposed on 24-year-old Brittany Jno-Baptiste faces legal challenge as her attorney prepares to contest what he describes as an excessive punishment for a manslaughter conviction.

Speaking with Observer Media, the defence lawyer Wendel Alexander announced his intention to appeal following High Court Judge Justice Tunde Bakre’s ruling on Tuesday.

Alexander contends the sentence approaches the maximum penalty too closely, with the judge using a 34-year starting point before reductions for a crime that carries a 35-year maximum.

The case involves the October 2021 death of 66-year-old Wendy Jane Finch at her Piccadilly residence. Jno-Baptiste initially faced murder charges but later entered a guilty plea to manslaughter by way of diminished responsibility.

During sentencing, Justice Bakre considered multiple factors including the brutality of the crime, alongside mitigating elements such as the defendant’s youth, her diagnosed cannabis-induced psychotic disorder, and expressions of remorse.

The final sentence included consideration for 1,270 days already spent in custody and requires continued psychiatric care.

Alexander maintains his client intended to plead guilty to manslaughter from the beginning of proceedings but was prevented from doing so by prosecution requirements for additional psychiatric evaluation.

He also argues that the court failed to adequately consider Jno-Baptiste’s mental health condition while seeming to penalize her for cannabis consumption.

Alexander has committed to appealing the judgment regardless of compensation.