Antigua considers death penalty for weapon crimes

Antigua’s government will propose the death penalty for crimes involving weapons – even if the victim is not killed – following the killing of a honeymoon couple from Britain, the island’s justice minister said today.

The government will soon introduce new sentencing legislation for anyone who uses a gun or knife in a crime that results in death or “serious injury,” Justice Minister Collin Derrick said.

The legislation, to be introduced at the next session of parliament, would set a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison, Derrick said. Judges could also impose a sentence of life in prison.

Gun traffickers, who are blamed for a recent spike in violence in the tourism-dependent Caribbean nation, could also be sentenced to death under the proposal, Derrick said.

“We are getting intelligence reports that there are considerable dealers in firearms,” he said. “At present, we’re seeking ways to address that issue ... which is causing tremendous injury and grief to families and this country.”

The new proposal comes as authorities investigate the killing of Benjamin and Catherine Mullany, 31-year-old newlyweds who were shot at a beachfront resort on the island’s southwest coast.

Three additional Scotland Yard detectives have arrived in recent days to work with five others assisting local police with the investigation. No arrests have been made.

Antigua has the death penalty but only for murder. The current law establishes a maximum of 25 years in prison for an assault with a weapon that does not result in death.

The island nation has had 12 murders so far this year.