“Savage” killer jailed until death

“You must never be released again until you are dead!”

With those words, Justice Carlisle Greaves informed two-time murderer Lawrence Anderson Mullin on Friday that he would spend the rest of his life in Dodds Prison for the “brutal” killing of 56-year-old Laura Springer which occurred between May 18 and 19, 2018.

“I have formed the view, Mr Mullin, that you are too dangerous to be released into society again. I have formed the view that there is a real likelihood that if you are released again, you will murder somebody or others again,” the High Court judge told the 58-year-old who either chuckled or shook his head at times during the sentencing proceedings in the No. 3 Supreme Court.

Following a two-week trial in March, Mullin, of Hart’s Gap, Christ Church, was found guilty of murder.

“This is not the first time that this man has been convicted of murder. The record shows that he was convicted of murder in the United Kingdom and given a life sentence in which he was required to spend 21 years before release. Thereafter, he found himself in Barbados, where he was born and had migrated from since he was nine or 10 . . . . In addition, his conviction record shows . . . another one of an assault of a young lady in England,” Justice Greaves pointed out after Senior State Counsel Neville Watson called for the killer to be put away for good to protect citizens, especially women.

“I have formed the view that you [were] savage then as you [were] savage in this case,” the judge told Mullin.

According to the autopsy on Springer’s body, her death was a result of blunt trauma to the head, face and chest.

“This appeared to have been a brutal killing, perhaps over a period of two days. There must have been great suffering by Ms Springer. There is an evilness apparent in the nature of this killing . . . ,” Justice Greaves said.

“This now convicted man was relentless in his murderous undertaking. Having bludgeoned her or incapacitated her, or killed her on the first day, he returned on the second day either to complete the job or to ensure that the job was well done. We are never going to know unless he tells us; he has chosen not to tell us,” Justice Greaves said after Mullin told the court, “Nothing to say, Sir” when asked if he had anything to say before sentence.

Pointing to the evidence, the judge stated that the killer made substantial efforts to dispose of the evidence in Springer’s death.

“There is no evidence, according to the experts, to be tested . . . . But even so, he took a shower in the woman’s house to ensure again that he took no trace on his body to connect him to the crime – evidence of a devious mind, a dangerous mind,” said the judge who added that had it not been for the woman’s daughter and son-in-law, the killer probably would not have been caught.

“Because even with the CCTV evidence, we still needed the evidence of that couple who recognised him through his distinct appearance – his grey hair, white beard, and his ponytail – to link him to that crime . . . .

“I think a powerful inference could be drawn, having regard to the extensive injuries . . . and the absence of any blood on his clothes, despite the washing, that he might have committed this crime naked . . . . This is a dangerous man,” Justice Greaves said.

A psychiatric report deemed Mullin to be at high risk of committing a similar offence after he staunchly refused to be interviewed for a report to assist the court with his sentence. He took a similar position with the pre-sentencing report.

His decision left his attorney Angella Mitchell-Gittens “hamstrung” in her efforts to mitigate on his behalf.

According to the psychiatrist, Mullin “is a significant danger to society” and requires a secure controlled environment.

Justice Greaves concurred.

“There are no mitigating circumstances that I could find that could drive me to a conclusion or opinion that should impose a sentence on you below a whole life sentence,” he said.

This is the second whole life sentence imposed on a murderer this year.

Back in April, killer Shawn Leo Phillips was locked away for the rest of his life after being deemed a “dangerous danger” to society for killing 27-year-old Melissa Davis between November 28 and December 5, 2008.

fernellawedderburn@barbadostoday.bb ]]>