Cousins Rajae Thomas and Raschief Griffiths have been jailed for three years after being found guilty of stabbing a rival gang member multiple times with a machete and a knife.
Two other family members were given suspended sentences and ordered to pay compensation for their parts in the violent attack in Salam, Montserrat, on Boxing Day in 2019.
Justice Iain Morley KC delivered the sentences in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court on 20 November, 2023.
In his judgement, he said brothers Rajae and Tajrae Thomas, and their cousins Raschief and Kaschief Griffiths had lived together in Lower Friths.
They had moved to Montserrat from Jamaica about six years ago.
Rajae was also known as Skilla, Tajrae as Boma, Raschief as Baba and Kaschief as Kas. As a group, they named themselves, Camp Skilla.
The four used to play football with five other young men, also from Jamaica, who called themselves Camp Chargie.
They were Akeem ‘Chargie’ Robinson, Murray ‘Peso’ Edwards, Denoy ‘Nigi’ Campbell, Quarry ‘Shortboss’ Allison, and Miguel ‘Wingie’ McPherson.
Water fight and scuffle
On 26 December, 2019, there was a ‘jump-up’ in Salem where water was thrown, the high court judge said, adding that he would be referring to the men by their nicknames during his judgment.
At Wilsons shop, Chargie threw water on Skilla, which upset him, so, in turn, he threw a cup containing rum into the face of Chargie.
This led to scuffle between the two, and others, the judgment explained. Camp Skilla withdrew on foot through Salem and went home.
Camp Chargie set off in a Toyota Vitz and a Toyota Starlet to the home of Camp Skilla armed with sticks and machetes. Chargie and Nigi drove the cars.
The other gang emerged from their home, also armed with a machete each. Rocks were mutually thrown, leading to Camp Skilla running away.
Peso, who had arrived in the Toyota Starlet, was intoxicated and had “not been much part of going up the road”, Judge Morley said.
Seeing Camp Chargie running down the road away into the bushes, he tried to hide in the Toyota Vitz, locking the doors.
Stabbed ten times
Camp Skilla surrounded the car and smashed the windows with rocks and machetes, stabbing at Peso, who climbed out of a window to escape.
He described specifically being stabbed five times each by Skilla with a machete and by Baba with a knife, mostly to his left side, Judge Morley recalled in his judgment.
Camp Skilla also smashed the windows of the other car parked nearby.
After the incident, Peso was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery for a protruding intestine.
He had ten stab wounds including six down his left side, one on his left wrist, two on his left forearm and one in his shoulder, Judge Morley said.
During the trial, the defence had argued that no-one had realised Peso was in the car.
His injuries must have arisen by accident while they smashed it or as he emerged through broken car glass, cutting himself on shards, the defence had argued.
Both scenarios were rejected.
Unlawful wounding
Initially all four men faced a charge of attempted murder – but there was no case to answer – and the charge of causing an affray was abandoned.
The case proceeded to the jury on wounding with intent, with unlawful wounding as an implicit lesser alternative. All four were convicted of the second offence on 28 July, 2023.
Rajae Thomas was given three years in prison for the unlawful wounding of Murray Edwards, and 21 months concurrent imprisonment for criminal damage.
Raschief Griffiths was given three years in prison for the unlawful wounding of Murray Edwards, and 24 concurrent months each for two counts of criminal damage.
Kaschief Griffiths was given two years in prison for the unlawful wounding of Murray Edwards, and 24 concurrent months each for two counts of criminal damage. All terms were suspended for two years.
He was also ordered to pay EC$12,000 in compensation for car damage, with EC$1,200 on the first of each month for ten months or face nine months in prison.
Tajrae Thomas was given two years in prison for the unlawful wounding of Murray Edwards, suspended for two years.
He was also ordered to pay EC$7,000 in compensation for car damage, with EC$700 on the first of each month for ten months or face six months in prison.
Oris Sullivan and Kadian McNeil represented the Department of Public Prosecution during the trial and Korah Galloway represented the defendants.
