Belmont man freed after serving 33 years for 1991 murder

AFTER more than three decades behind bars for the murder of a rival drug dealer, a Belmont resident has been released from prison.

High Court Judge Tricia Hudlin-Cooper ordered Keiron Thomas's immediate release during a resentencing hearing in November, following evolving legal precedents regarding indefinite life sentences.

Thomas was convicted in July 1994 of the 1991 murder of Wayne Gerry Williams in St Barb's, Belmont. The two had a turbulent relationship, and weeks before the fatal incident, Williams assaulted Thomas, accusing him of tampering with his drugs.

On August 7, 1991, Williams was walking through a track when Thomas attacked him with a garden fork. After the handle broke, Thomas continued the assault using the broken handle and then chased Williams, delivering multiple chop wounds when he fell.

A mutual friend who witnessed the incident testified against Thomas as the State’s key witness.

Thomas admitted to attacking Williams during his trial, but claimed the witness inflicted the fatal injury.

Despite his defence, Thomas was convicted of murder.

The Court of Appeal upheld Thomas’s conviction in 1996, and the Privy Council refused permission to appeal further.

Initially sentenced to death, Thomas spent 17 years on death row. His sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment under a landmark Privy Council ruling that prohibited executions more than five years after conviction.

In May 2023, Justice Ricky Rahim remitted Thomas’s case to the criminal assizes for his resentencing.

Hudlin-Cooper began with a 45-year prison term, emphasising the need to address violent crime.

She then reduced the sentence on the basis of mitigating factors. Thomas received a two-year discount for his prolonged time on death row; a year for his remorse; two years for participating in rehabilitation programmes; and two years for his good behaviour and avoiding disciplinary infractions in prison.

This brought his sentence to 38 years. Factoring in prison remission for good behaviour, Thomas was deemed to have completed his sentence and was ordered to be released.

Hudlin-Cooper commended Thomas for his efforts at rehabilitation while in prison and urged him to steer clear of crime as he reintegrates into society. She also encouraged him to use his experience to counsel youths in his community against criminal activity.

Thomas was represented by attorneys Michelle Ali and Aleena Ramjag of the Public Defenders Department. Norma Peters appeared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.