Jakobe Yarde sentenced to life for 2022 Baxters Road murder

Jakobe Jaheem Yarde, 26, received a life sentence for the 2022 Baxters Road shooting that killed Jerome Stuart and wounded two others. He must serve 40.5 more years before parole eligibility.

Jakobe Yarde handed life term for Baxters Road killing, must serve 40 more years before parole

Jakobe Jaheem Yarde, 26, of Nurse Land, Bank Hall, was sentenced to life imprisonment last Friday for the April 16, 2022, shooting on Baxters Road that claimed the life of Jerome Stuart and left two other men wounded, Barbados Today reports.

Justice Carlisle Greaves handed down the sentence in the No. 3 Supreme Court. Yarde has already spent four and a half years on remand and must serve a further 40 and a half years before he can be considered for parole.

Verdict returned in June

The 12-member jury found Yarde guilty at the conclusion of his trial in June. Stuart, formerly of 8th Avenue, New Orleans, died after being shot near Jordan's Supermarket on Baxters Road.

Alongside the murder conviction, Yarde was found guilty on four additional counts: using a firearm without a valid licence; unlawfully wounding Steve Hackett and Rasheed Bishop with intent to do them serious bodily harm or to maim, disfigure or disable them; and maliciously engaging in conduct — specifically, shooting at Michael Preville and Ceejay Ifill — with intent to place them in danger of death or serious bodily harm.

For those charges, Yarde was sentenced to 17 years, reduced to 12 years after the court credited the time he had already spent in custody. All sentences will run concurrently.

Prosecution sought 45-year tariff

Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Krystal Delaney, who prosecuted alongside Principal State Counsel Joyann Catwell, urged the court to impose a life sentence with a tariff of 45 years, describing the attack as "unprovoked."

According to the prosecutor, a group of men had gathered on Baxters Road that Saturday to lime and have drinks. Yarde, who had been wearing a colourful shirt, changed into a black shirt before arming himself and carrying out the attack.

Defence cited no prior convictions

Defence attorneys Sade Harris and Markaila Brathwaite represented Yarde. Harris argued for a 35-year tariff, pointing out that Yarde had no previous convictions, was assessed as being at medium risk of reoffending, and was a young man capable of rehabilitation.

Judge: CCTV showed him stalking victims

Justice Greaves said the evidence demonstrated that Yarde had stalked his victims before opening fire. The judge stated: "There was powerful evidence in this case, which was a very strong case, which proved in my opinion beyond any reasonable doubt that the accused was guilty. There was CCTV evidence from different sources which showed his journey and where he was at as he stalked the victims in this case and then advanced to them, discharged the firearm and fled while concealing the firearm in his trousers."

Greaves added that Yarde's discharge of 11 shots on the busy street demonstrated a "callous disregard for the lives and well-being of those around."

Source: Barbados Today