Cocoyea man pleads guilty to TV cameraman's 2009 murder

A 32-year-old Cocoyea man has pleaded guilty to the 2009 murder of television cameraman Akeel Mathison.

On Monday, Kevin Vincent pleaded guilty to felony murder when he appeared virtually before Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds.

He was charged with Mathison’s murder on August 28, 2009, at an internet cafe on Lord Street, San Fernando.

Mathison was a cameraman with Acts 25 Channel 9. As he was leaving the cafe, he was stabbed in the chest when he refused to hand over his Blackberry cellphone.

Vincent is expected to be sentenced on Friday.

In a plea of mitigation, Vincent’s attorney Adelia Jordan said the plan was not to harm Mathison, only to rob him.

She also pointed out it was Vincent who inflicted the injury that led to Mathison’s death.

Jordan said Vincent had tried to attain some CXC passes while in prison but this was cut short because of the pandemic and he was an orderly at the prison.

She also said he had a good relationship with his younger brother, whom he mentors, to stay away from crime and friends who are likely to lead him down that road.

In asking for a downward adjustment to any sentence imposed by the court, Jordan said he was a likely candidate for rehabilitation. She also asked that the 13 years he has spent in prison to be fully discounted.

Ramsumair-Hinds said she needed time to think about her sentence, but allowed Vincent to read out a statement he had prepared for the court.

He said he was sorry and, at 19, he had been blind to the knowledge that life is fragile. Vincent said he knows his words cannot compensate for Mathison’s life and nothing he says will bring him back.

He also apologised for the effects his actions had on Mathison’s loved ones.

Prosecutor Ravita Persad-Maharaj represented the State at the hearing and asked for time for the prison to confirm how long Vincent has spent in custody and also confirm his status as an orderly with no infractions against him..