Bid Rejected To Reopen Appeal Of Man Who Killed His Girlfriend

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – A convicted killer has lost a bid to have the appellate court to reduce his 50-year sentence for slitting his girlfriend’s throat after she allegedly claimed she had given him AIDS.

William Forbes asked the Court of Appeal to revisit his sentence.

He was initially tried for murder after prosecutors alleged that he slit the woman’s throat following an argument on January 9, 2012.

Forbes alleged that the woman taunted him that she had given him AIDS and that “all of the whores with whom he was sleeping were slowly dying”.

Forbes’ appeal against conviction and sentence were dismissed in 2015.

Attorney Christina Galanos sought to convince the Court to reopen the appeal, citing the Privy Council case of Roger Watson.

The country’s final ordered resentencing for Watson, who had also been sentenced to 50 years, after finding that the sentence was draconian.

However, in a majority decision, the Court of Appeal noted that Forbes had a prior conviction for manslaughter.

Another distinguishing factor, was that the sentencing court had heard full arguments before determining an appropriate sentence.

Justices of Appeal Gregory Smith and Stella Crane-Scott ruled the appeal should not be reopened. On the other hand, Court President Sir Michael Barnett said a substantial injustice would occur if the sentence wasn’t revisted.