ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Prime Minister Gaston Browne Wednesday said that the judiciary is failing the Antigua and Barbuda society as police continue to investigate the murder of a 43-year-old man on Tuesday night,
The police said that two others are nursing gunshot wounds following the shooting incident that occurred around 11:00 pm (local time) at the East Bus Station.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Prime Minister Browne said that “this shooting was ostensibly done by a criminal element who is known to the police for gun crimes,” adding, “Interestingly, he was recently given bail.
“The judiciary is failing our society by giving these known un-empathetic, destructive, criminal elements bail and short sentences, allowing them to become repeat offenders, thereby destabilizing our society with their routine criminal acts of crime and violence,” Browne said.
He said while sentencing is the “exclusive domain of the judiciary, as a member of the legislature, I firmly believe that our judiciary is failing us.
“Be empathetic to our people and not criminals. Crime and violence must not pay, and those who engage in crime and violence must surely pay.
We cannot reign in criminals with slaps on the wrist; they must be severely punished, especially repeat offenders who are involved in gun crimes. Protect our society; up the sentencing now and end routine bail for these hardcore criminals,” Prime Minister Browne wrote.
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