21 year old Leonard Pratt of Grand Turk, was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment by a Supreme Court judge after he plead guilty to charge of Attempted Murder in connection with a report that was made on Saturday 17th December 2016.
On that date, Police and Medical team responded to the Bay Road area in Blue Hills, Providenciales after reports of numerous gun-shots were heard. Upon arrival at the scene, a 26 year-old victim was met and confirmed the report.
The victim later told detectives that he arrived home at around 6:30am, while in his vehicle he heard what sounded like two gun-shots and immediately began to feel a pain in his left arm. When he looked outside the vehicle he saw Leonard Pratt standing by his driver door holding a black handgun in his hand. The victim continue to tell officers that Leonard opened the car door and pulled him out of the vehicle and throw him onto to the ground as he searched him. He then placed the gun to his head and pressed the trigger but it did not fire. Another unknown male came placed his gun on the victim’s chest, pulled the trigger and that too did not fire. Both then ran away.
On that same date, Tactical Unit Officers were at the Providenciales International Airport when the suspect was seen, informed of the report and arrested. He later admitted to shooting the victim, and stated that it was retaliation to a previous incident. He was arrested and charged for the offence mentioned above
Also on Thursday 4th May 2017, in the Grand Turk Supreme Court, Colin Delancy Jr. of The Bight Providenciales, was sentenced to 12 years Imprisonment for the 2011 murder of Santa Suarez Ramirez of the Dominican Republic.
It was reported on Wednesday 20th July 2011 shortly after 9 pm that a female was shot at the sailing Paradise Restaurant located in Blue Hills. As a result, Police and emergency services responded where the victim, who was the bar-maid was later pronounced deceased from a gunshot wound.
Investigation revealed that Lavardo Smith armed with a gun along with two other males, dropped off by Colin who was waiting in a getaway car, entered the establishment and while inside Santa Suarez Ramirez was shot and killed. Police later arrested and charged all four males. Two of the men pleaded guilty to their charges and was subsequently sentenced to 4 and seven years respectively for their roles in the incident while Smith and Delancy maintained their not guilty plea.
They both went to a trial in the Supreme Court. In 2013, Smith was charged and found guilty of murder; he was sentenced to life imprisonment, while Delancy was charged and found guilty of manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years. Both men appealed to the Court of Appeal on a misdirection given by the trial judge which was granted. Hence a retrial was set for 2017.
On Wednesday 1st February 2017, after a retrial for Smith, he was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.
