ST. KITTS-Man found guilty of offering cash to a woman who made a rape complaint against another person.
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC–A High Court judge has fixed June 29, this year, as the date for sentencing a man, who was found guilty on three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice in 2023. The matter arose from Devin Richardson’s interactions with a woman, identified in Court as “Ms. Browne”, who had […]
Black News 
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC–A High Court judge has fixed June 29, this year, as the date for sentencing a man, who was found guilty on three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice in 2023.
The matter arose from Devin Richardson’s interactions with a woman, identified in Court as “Ms. Browne”, who had previously made a rape complaint against another individual.
The High Court found that Richardson had repeatedly approached Browne in October 2023 and offered her money in return for signing a document withdrawing or discontinuing her complaint.
Attempting to pervert the course of imprisonment is an extremely serious offense, punishable by a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Richardson, who has no previous criminal convictions, has been remanded into custody.
In his written ruling, Justice Patrick Thompson Jr said that Richardson had proposed sums ranging from EC$10,000 to EC$50,000 (One EC dollar = 0.37 cents), suggesting that Browne could take the money discreetly and bring the matter to an end.
The judge said that these actions were a deliberate attempt to interfere with the administration of justice, even though no money was ultimately paid and the case was not withdrawn.
The prosecution provided an audio recording and transcript made by Browne during a meeting with Richardson on October 13, 2023, capturing discussions about payment in exchange for ending the case.
Justice Thompson described the recording as “a damning indictment” and found that it clearly demonstrated a “quid pro quo” arrangement where money would be exchanged for silence.
Justice Thompson rejected arguments that Richardson was merely confused or not applying pressure. Instead, he found that the repeated calls, messages, time pressure, and the existence of a pre-prepared document showed a persistent and intentional effort to undermine the justice process.
The High Court accepted Browne as a credible and reliable witness, noting that the defense did not challenge large portions of her evidence. The judge highlighted her careful documentation of phone calls and messages and found no basis to conclude that her evidence was unreliable under the Evidence Act.
The Court also heard evidence from a police officer confirming the existence of an arrest warrant related to the underlying complaint, further strengthening the finding that Richardson was aware of possible or pending legal proceedings.
Justice Thompson noted that a person can commit the offense of perverting the course of justice even if no miscarriage of justice actually occurs, and that proceedings need not be underway or imminent.
He said that the offense can be committed before, during, or after an investigation, provided there is intent and a real risk to justice.
The judge also found that Richardson’s conduct was dishonest by ordinary standards, applying the legal test set out in cases.
Meantime, the judge has called for an investigation into any lawyer or lawyers who may have drafted the document shown to Browne without her instructions. He ordered that copies of the decision be sent to the Registrar, the Attorney General, and the Commissioner of Police for their attention.
