Judge condemns gang violence as killer gets life

In the first case in Barbadian history in which gang evidence was used in a murder prosecution, a High Court judge has sentenced convicted murderer Jaiden Malik Millington to life in prison, declaring an urgent need to stamp out gangland killings before they further destabilise the society.

Millington, of Bath Land, St John, was ordered by Justice Carlisle Greaves in the No. 3 Supreme Court on Friday to serve a minimum of 45 years — less the five years already spent in custody — for the shooting death of Tarik Straker, of Long Gap, Spooners Hill, St Michael, on December 23, 2020.

He was found guilty of the offence by a 12-member jury in the No. 3 Supreme Court last October.

Millington and another man were walking in Headley Land, Bank Hall, when they saw Straker, the court heard.

Millington held onto him and shot him five times, killing him on the spot. Evidence presented indicated that Millington was affiliated with one gang, while Straker was aligned with a rival group, and prosecutors contended this rivalry motivated the killing.

“This is a brutal murder in the nighttime,” Justice Greaves said, describing gang killings as a “grave and serious threat” to society. He warned that such rivalries breed t it-for-tat violence that is difficult to eradicate once it takes hold.

The judge emphasised the need for a strong deterrent, adding: “It is important that these courts, by their sentences, do all that is within their power to assist in stamping out this gang tit-for-tat disease.

“Therefore our gang associates must understand that the penalty is going to be heavy. There must be a strong deterrent factor in the sentencing when it comes to gang murders. We must nip this in the bud if we can before it gets worse,” he added.

He further noted that the firearm used in the offence has not been recovered, and Millington had admitted to shooting another man in a separate incident — behaviour the judge said demonstrated “a determined executioner” and a continuing risk to the public.

Justice Greaves rejected the argument that Millington’s youth was a mitigating factor. “It is not old men that are joining gangs and shooting up people, but young men,” he stated.

Before sentencing, Millington apologised briefly to the victim’s family: “What I would like to say to the family is that I am sorry for their loss.”

Acting Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Krystal Delaney and Principal State Counsel Romario Straker prosecuted the case. Defence attorneys Rita Evans and Ensley Grainger represented Millington.