State not seeking more prison time for youth involved in 2009 death of elderly man

Dario Omar Catlyn pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Friday, 13 years after being involved in a crime that led to the death of 62-year-old Rudolph Knight.

The St George resident had been facing a murder charge but Senior Crown Counsel Oliver Thomas accepted his manslaughter plea on the basis that there was “no intention to kill”.

Knight, of Blackmans Tenantry, St Joseph, died of head injuries on April 10, 2009, a week after being ambushed as he walked along a cart road in his community.

The prosecutor said Knight was carrying` wages as he walked along Goat Hill, Blackmans around 6 p.m. when he was attacked by two 19-year-olds – Rachad Akeil Leroy Holder of Orange Grove, St Joseph who previously pleaded guilty to the crime, and Catlyn. He was subsequently discovered in the track by a group of boys who alerted others in the community and police and medical services were contacted.

Catlyn, alias ‘Rich Boy’, gave police a written statement on October 13, 2011, after a friend he had confided in about the attack informed police.

In his statement, he said he was walking towards Blackmans Corner when he saw Holder, known as ‘Bow Foot’, coming towards him. After speaking with him, Catlyn said he went to Holder’s house and they then went back on the road.

He said when they got by the corner they saw Knight walking in front of them.

“Bow Foot said ‘come let we go for he because he does got nuff money on he’. Bow Foot walk off fast in front of me and I was still taking my time,” said Catlyn who added that Knight then went through a track.

“Bow Foot went through the track after he and when they were a little ways long the track Bow Foot start to cuff the man about his upper body and treat he ruff with real anger. Bow Foot took up something from the ground and started to beat the old man with it. I get frighten and run and went home. The next few days I hear de man dead.”

A post-mortem showed Knight’s death was due to severe traumatic head injury.

Following the revelation of the facts in court, Catlyn’s attorney Angella Mitchell-Gittens noted that her client had spent eight years on remand in connection with the crime.

She asked that he be granted personal bail as the state was not seeking further incarceration. The request was granted and the convicted man’s surety was relieved of that duty.

A presentencing report has been ordered on the convicted man who returns before Justice Randall Worrell’s No. 2 Supreme Court on June 17.