The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Court Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

THE KILLERS of a ZNS broadcaster were yesterday sentenced to decades in jail. 

Richard Bevans, 34, was sentenced by the Supreme Court to 48 years in prison for the deadly 2016 robbery of Scott Richards, while Raquel Johnson, 36, was sentence to 28 years  jail time. 

Bevans was represented by attorney Roberto Reckley, and Johnson by attorney Nathan Smith as they appeared before Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson for sentencing yesterday.

This comes after a jury of nine found both accused guilty on charges of murder and armed robbery in July last year in connection with the death of the 48-year-old broadcaster.

According to police reports, on May 26, 2016, at Bonefish Pond National Park, authorities discovered Richards’ lifeless body with multiple gunshot wounds.

 In her summary of the case, Justice Grant-Thompson said a further search of the crime scene found the victim’s car as well as condoms and a female skirt in the general vicinity.

 Justice Grant-Thompson went on to recap how throughout the trial Johnson maintained her innocence in the matter, further stating that Johnson claimed to be in a sexual relationship with the deceased.

 In Johnson’s testimony, she said she and the victim had become intimate at the scene when a man in white, armed with a handgun, robbed Richards of his cellphone and money. Johnson claimed she managed to flee the scene in a state of undress when she heard a gunshot and saw the victim collapse on the ground in a pool of blood.

 It is said she then managed to catch a bus home only to be arrested days later for her connection to the event, having failed to alert the police to the killing in that time.

 During their trial, both accused provided conflicting reports of the incident, but both maintained that neither of them knew the other before being charged.

 Justice Grant-Thompson called the crime a “heinous” act and a “cold-blooded” murder, saying that “Mr Scott Richards was robbed, shot and left to die on the ground, like an animal”.

 She further stated that the events sullied the picturesque venue.

 Although she said Ms Johnson did express sympathy to the victim’s family, Grant-Thomson told the accused that neither had expressed remorse for their involvement in the crime.

 In her review of the case, Justice Grant-Thompson found that Bevans was not of good character and incapable of reform, referring to the fact that this is not his first conviction for armed robbery. She also said Bevans is currently serving a prison term on a separate armed robbery charge.

 Furthermore, a report from Bevans’ probation officer submitted to court said the convict admitted to the separate murder of a pastor at an ATM to his mother and father. However, Justice Grant-Thompson stated this anecdotal confession had no bearing on her current ruling.

 With reference to Ms Johnson Justice Grant-Thompson believed she was capable of reform, but maintained that she found the crime “abhorrent”.

 Before carrying out sentencing, Justice Grant-Thompson said she wanted to send a message to society that such reprehensible behaviour is “unacceptable”.

 She sentenced Bevans to 48 years for  murder and 25 for armed robbery.

  Johnson faced a more lenient 28-year sentence for murder and a 10-year sentence for armed robbery.

It was stated that the year and one month that Bevans spent on remand would be deducted from his prison sentence, with a year and a half being deducted from Johnson’s prison term.