Convicted murderer says she acted in self-defence

Convicted murderer Romancia Odwin has told the No. 4 Supreme Court that she was defending herself when Ronald Smokey Skeete was killed, as her attorney urged the court to depart from the usual 40-year sentence starting point.

The former national netballer, now 26, of Whopping, Orange Hill, St James, was unanimously convicted by a jury of murdering 56-year-old Skeete. She was also found guilty of unlawfully wounding Skeete’s girlfriend, Zonelle Sobers, with intent to maim, disfigure or disable her between July 18 and 19, 2020.

In her pre-sentencing statement to the court, Odwin said she had become a target of the deceased at the age of 13 and had been afraid to talk to her parents about it because they were all close friends.

She said: “I never dreamed I would be in this position today. I am so sorry that it happened because it was not my intention. I am not a violent person. I love sport. I love reading. Before all of this happened I was considered a respectable person wherever I went. I lived most of my years with fear for men, trusting, relationships and commitment. I have been through so much, a young ambitious lady whose dreams have been spoiled.

“Everyone will cast their opinion and judge me based on what they assume.  My life will never be the same. I have been branded all types of derogatory names, but only God knows. I never had any intentions of harming anyone. I was only defending myself. I am sorry for what happened. I truly am.  I spent two years on remand. I reflected and got closer to God.”

Odwin apologised to Skeete’s family for their loss, to Sobers and to her own family.

“I am truly saddened by this. If I could change things and turn back time, I would. I am still in disbelief about the entire situation.”

Her attorney, Sade Harris, urged the court to consider that Odwin and the deceased had been involved, “in a domestic relationship of sorts”, the considerable age difference between them, and that the extensive telephone communication between them had shown elements of provocation and grooming.

Harris asked the court to move away from the standard starting point of 40 years for murder and consider, first, a range of 15 to 25 years because of the circumstances, or a sentence in line with the highest tier for manslaughter, of 25 to 35 years.

She pointed out that, because Odwin was deemed to be at low risk of reoffending, had no previous convictions and had received positive psychological and pre-sentence reports, her starting sentence should be reduced by two years. She also asked the court to take into account her time spent on remand.

Calling Odwin’s situation “an unfortunate set of circumstances”, acting Senior State Counsel Paul Prescod said Odwin was not “squeaky clean” as she had armed herself with a knife before going to Skeete’s home.

He said: “This case is a unique case and it has some things in it that we cannot let slide. This is clear unadulterated murder when you’re going to leave a house and say, ‘This is the last time I coming there’, turn up there with a weapon and within 20 minutes the man was dead.”

The prosecutor submitted that the premeditated act of arming herself before the incident, the fact that both Skeete and Sobers had been unarmed, the number of wounds inflicted, and the convicted woman’s attempt to dispose of the knife afterwards were all aggravating factors.

He submitted a 40-year starting point for the murder and an 18-year starting point for the wounding with intent, and agreed with the defence that Odwin should receive a two-year reduction for mitigating factors.

Justice Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell will sentence Odwin on November 6.

(JB)