Senior Reporter
A Penal man who killed his brother during a violent confrontation has been sentenced to ten years in prison after the court accepted that he acted under provocation while trying to protect their elderly mother.
Avalon Thompson, of Lachoos Road, was originally charged with the murder of his brother, Paul Mark Teeluck, following a 2017 incident at their home. He was also charged with wounding with intent after their 71-year-old mother, Dhanrajayia Thompson, was injured while attempting to separate the men.
Under a plea agreement with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), negotiated by his attorneys Ayanna Norville-Modeste and Makeda Derrick of the Public Defenders’ Department, Thompson was allowed to plead guilty to manslaughter by provocation and to the wounding charge.
In delivering the sentence earlier this week, Justice Tricia Hudlin-Cooper accepted a starting point of 20 years for the manslaughter conviction, as outlined in the agreement. This was reduced to 10 years after the judge applied a one-third discount for Thompson’s guilty plea, along with further reductions for mitigating factors, including his expressed remorse and forgiveness from family members, including his mother.
For the wounding charge, the judge set a starting sentence of six years but applied the guilty plea discount and deducted a further two years, noting that Thompson had already effectively served that sentence while on remand.
As a result, Thompson is expected to be released after serving just over a year in prison, having already spent significant time in custody before entering his guilty pleas.
The incident occurred on August 15, 2017, at the family’s home. According to evidence presented in court, Teeluck returned home intoxicated and began physically assaulting their mother.
Thompson initially stayed out of the confrontation, retreating to a hammock outside. He later claimed he saw his brother throw money at their mother and order her to purchase cigarettes and alcohol from a nearby shop.
During her absence, Thompson said he warned Teeluck about their mother’s fragile health, noting she had recently suffered a stroke and was diabetic. He told the court that Teeluck threatened to kill him.
When their mother returned, Teeluck reportedly resumed the assault, grabbing and violently shaking her. Thompson then armed himself with a cutlass and attacked his brother. Their mother was injured during the struggle as she attempted to intervene.
Thompson subsequently called for an ambulance.
The matter was prosecuted by Maria Lyons-Edwards and Aaliyah Lewis.
