The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court has approved an application by convicted murderer Veron Primus for leave to appeal his conviction and sentence.
Primus was sentenced to 34 years in Prison on December 16, 2022, having been convicted on July 20, 2022, for the November 2015 murder of Real Estate Agent Sharlene Greaves of Dorsetshire Hill.
Prime will serve 29 years, 4 months, and 26 days behind bars, as the 4 years, 4 months, and 26 days spent on remand were deducted from his sentence.
Attorney Michael Wyllie, who was assigned by the state to represent Primus at the trial, said on Tuesday that he had received confirmation last week that Primus’ application for leave to appeal was approved.
“I am absolutely convinced that the Court of Appeal is going to overturn Primus’ verdict. In this case, he could either be set free or the Court will order a retrial,” Wyllie said.
But, according to Wyllie, the big issue now is who is going to pay for the appeal.
“There are two main appeal costs that Primus faces – my fees and the cost of the transcript of the trial. The appeal form asked whether the appellant wants assistance with the costs, and Primus said yes. However, we have not yet gotten a response as to whether he is going to be financially assisted,” Wyllie explained.
Wyllie highlighted the need for assistance particularly for the transcript of the trial.
“The whole trial has to be transcribed because, in the appeal submissions, references have to be made to the parts of the transcripts which substantiate the grounds of appeal. Moreover, a copy of the transcript has to be included in the appeal file,” the lawyer added.
Wyllie said he was appointed by the state to represent Primus in the trial, as capital offenses, which include murder, are the only charges for which there is legal aid in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He noted that there is no legal aid for appeals, but it is hopeful that the Court of Appeal would grant Primus the cost of his appeal.
Wyllie noted that all the grounds of appeal are quite strong.
Some of the grounds of the appeal were published on page 4 of THE VINCENTIAN, December 23, 2022, in a story captioned, ‘Primus’s lawyer seeks leave to appeal’.
Wyllie had filed the application for leave to appeal on December 28, 2022, stating that “the conviction was unsafe and the sentence was manifestly excessive and wrong in principle”. He listed several grounds for appeal against conviction and sentence.
Greaves’ body with multiple stab wounds was found in her office at Arnos Vale by her secretary Ronnella Bailey, on the morning of November 13, 2015.
In January 2016, as recorded in the facts, Primus had confessed to a relative, with whom he had a sexual relationship, that he killed Greaves.
But Primus, in his defense, at the trial, denied that he had killed Greaves, or that he had confessed to anyone that he killed her.
SOURCE : THE VINCENTIAN