Convicted Child Killer’s Sentence Cut On Appeal

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The man convicted of killing a 12-year-old boy has had his 50-year prison sentence cut on appeal.

In a unanimous decision, the Court of Appeal reduced Roger Watson’s sentence to 30 years.
The sentence was further reduced to 26 years after factoring the time that Watson had spent on remand.

Watson, now 54, has spent 21 years in prison for the January 15,2003 shooting death of Eddison Curtis.

Watson, who had dispute with the child’s stepfather, fired an assault rifle into the family’s home.

Curtis was killed while watching television.

Watson was initially sentenced to death in 2007.

But the Court of Appeal quashed his murder conviction in 2009 and replaced it with one of manslaughter.

The Court of Appeal resentenced Watson to 50 years without hearing arguments.

Last year, the Privy Council, the country’s finally court, overturned the sentence and directed the Court of Appeal to hold a sentencing hearing to determine a suitable penalty.

The Court said, “For the past 21 years, the appellant has spent his life in prison under a sentence of death and subsequently a sentence of 50 years.

“He has spent his time in there with little hope of being released in his lifetime,until the Privy Council last September quashed his sentence.”