PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago – A woman and two men were sentenced by a High Court judge for their role in the death of a Gasparillo pensioner in 2012. Natalie King, Anthony Allemany and Neil Slater pleaded guilty to killing Andre Joachim, 69, at his home in July 2023. They were sentenced on January 10, 2024, by Justice Hayden St-Clair Douglas.
Natalie King, who concocted a plan with three men to rob the pensioner after the two were about to become intimate, was left with six years, three months and ten days to serve. Anthony Allemany was sentenced to five years, seven months and 12 days, and Neil Slater will serve one year, seven months and 14 days. The sentences will run from the date they pleaded guilty and will be served with hard labour.
The judge recognized King’s attempts to assist Joachim and her cooperation with the police after his death, but frowned upon her 17 prison infractions, stating that prisoners need to understand their conduct while incarcerated will be taken into consideration.
The plan to rob was premeditated and had fatal consequences, according to St Clair-Douglas. The court heard that King had concocted the plan with three men to rob the pensioner after they were about to become intimate. She even called an ambulance and the police after leaving Joachim’s home and promised to turn herself in. Two days later, she was arrested on Henry Street, Port of Spain.
The State was represented by Rhea Libert, while the three defendants were represented by Shane Patience, Adaphia Trancuso-Ribero and Delicia Helwig-Robertson, Shaunelle Hamilton, Renee Atwell and Darryl Douglas, all of the Public Defenders Department.
In conclusion, the court recognized King’s remorse and her efforts at self-improvement, but ultimately, the judge emphasized the severity of the plan’s fatal consequences and the defendants’ actions, leading to their sentencing. Andre Joachim’s tragic death serves as a reminder of the devastating impact of premeditated crimes.