A High Court judge has issued a grave warning about the escalating crisis of youth violence in Antigua and Barbuda following his sentencing of an 18-year-old to three years in prison for murdering a Syrian businessman when he was just 16 years old.

Justice Tunde Bakre’s written judgment reveals profound concern about what he called “the sudden surge in the wave of violent crime being perpetrated by these children” when he sentenced the defendant for the May 2023 killing. The convicted teenager fatally shot the 25-year-old Syrian national during a daylight robbery while already on bail for gun charges.

The victim served as his family’s primary breadwinner, supporting his brother’s medical education and planning to marry his fiancée. His death devastated the family, with his fiancée requiring mental health treatment at a facility in Syria following the traumatic loss.

Justice Bakre acknowledged the legal constraints he faced, stating “I am not unaware of the potential danger being unleashed on the society of Antigua and Barbuda with this light sentence passed on this convict.” The judge noted that while the law defines such offenders as children, “their acts and deeds are not anywhere near that of a child. They have become a menace to the entire society and something urgently has to be done.”

He emphasized the severity of the situation, declaring that “The main essence of government is to protect the citizens and there must be more concerted effort at doing this to rid the society of this impending danger by supporting the youths to make their life more meaningful.” Justice Bakre called for urgent collaborative action by the three organs of government to “immediately nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand.”

Court documents paint a deeply troubling picture of the young offender. A Social Inquiry report described the defendant as “totally unremorseful and indifferent to the situation he has found himself” and noted he was “described as badly behaved and untrustworthy by members of the community.” The defendant lost his mother at age six and “has really turned to be a menace to the community.”

The court noted family dysfunction, with the Social Inquiry report blaming his father for not properly caring for the defendant and his 12 siblings, while community members criticized his grandmother for indulging him despite negative reports. According to the court, “Blames were traded between the father and his grandmother on who actually was at fault between them on the way the defendant has turned out; the defendant has totally become a menace to the entire society.”

Justice Bakre delivered a particularly stark assessment of the defendant’s future risk, warning that “Unless something drastic is done to keep this particular convict in check, he can best be described as a disaster waiting to happen. This young boy does not strike me as a person that has learnt any lesson despite the fact that a life was lost.”

The court imposed the maximum sentence available for a minor conviction, with credit given for 550 days already served on remand. Upon release, the defendant will face strict supervision including twice-weekly police station sign-ins and a 7pm to 7am curfew for one year. Justice Bakre concluded with advice to the family, stating “It is advised that the family members should make every effort to rehabilitate him before the whole issues becomes too late.”

A co-accused in his 20s is still awaiting arraignment in connection with the case.