Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
March 03, 2008 (CUOPM)
Lawmakers in St. Kitts and Nevis are getting tougher on crime and are expected to approve longer prison sentences for persons found guilty and convicted of attempted murder, shooting or wounding and inflicting bodily harm on other persons.
Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, Hon. Dennis Merchant goes to the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly on Wednesday to get the greenlight to increase from 10 years to 25 years, the sentence which may be imposed on any person who is convicted of attempted murder by administering any poison or other destructive thing or by any means whatsoever wounding or causing bodily harm with intent to commit murder.
The lawmaking body is also being asked to increase from 10 years to 20 years, the sentence which may be imposed on any person convicted of shooting or attempting to shoot or wounding with intent to maim, disfigure or disable any person or to do some other grievous bodily harm to any person or with intent to prevent the lawful apprehension or detainer of any person.
The sentence for any person convicted of inflicting bodily harm with or without a weapon is also been increased from two to seven (7) years.
The proposed increases are in the Offences Against the Person (Amendment) Bill, 2008.