Cop breaks down as son’s alleged killer withdraws guilty plea, throwing case back to trial

A senior police officer broke down in court last Friday after her son’s alleged killer raised a claim of self-defense, forcing sentencing to be aborted for the second time in five years.

St Thomas farmer Cavell Thompson, who wears dreadlocks, was scheduled to be sentenced after pleading guilty to the stabbing murder of 29-year-old Sashane Sewell of Mahogany Hill, Dalvey, St Thomas, on July 18, 2020.

However, when the matter was called, King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie informed Justice Carolyn Tie-Powell that Thompson’s guilty plea could no longer stand due to recent developments. He explained that new instructions received from Thompson conflicted with statements previously given during interviews with the probation office for a social enquiry report completed in April.

“Counsel sought to reaffirm the instructions previously given, but those reaffirmations have not been forthcoming, and it appears that the offender is resiling from his position,” Champagnie said.