CCJ restores manslaughter convictions in Belize police case, clarifies use of photographic evidence

On Friday, April 10, 2026, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) issued its detailed reasons in the case of The King v Hallet King, Leonard Nunez [2026] CCJ 6 (AJ) BZ, an appeal originating from Belize.

The ruling followed a hearing held on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, during which the Court upheld the Crown’s appeal and restored the manslaughter convictions of two police officers, detailed a CCJ release.

During that hearing, the Respondents conceded the primary ground of appeal, leaving the Court to determine whether the trial judge had erred in admitting photographic evidence alleged to be prejudicial. In its written reasons, the CCJ clarified the evidentiary value of the photographs and determined that the jury was properly entitled to consider them when reaching its verdict.

The release said the case arose after the Crown challenged a decision of the Court of Appeal, which had overturned the convictions of Hallet King and Leonard Nunez, both former police officers in Belize. The two men had originally been found guilty of a single count of manslaughter in connection with the unlawful death of Hilbert Sotz, who died while in police custody.

According to the release, each had received a sentence of nine months’ imprisonment. Their convictions were later set aside by the Court of Appeal, which accepted arguments that the trial judge had made two critical errors: first, by not instructing the jury that manslaughter required proof that the accused intended to cause death through unlawful harm; and second, by permitting the introduction of photographic evidence that was allegedly more inflammatory than probative.

The CCJ reports that in the subsequent appeal, the Court focused primarily on the second issue, as counsel for the Respondents acknowledged that the Court of Appeal had been mistaken in its ruling on the first ground. Addressing the question of the photographs, the CCJ found that they formed an integral part of the evidentiary record and could reasonably assist the jury in determining whether the Respondents intended to inflict the harm that resulted in Mr. Sotz’s death.

The Court concluded that the images were not unfairly prejudicial and were properly admitted at trial. As a result, the CCJ allowed the Crown’s appeal, reinstated the manslaughter convictions, and remitted the matter to the Court of Appeal for reconsideration of the appropriate sentence.

The matter was heard by a panel comprising the Honourable Justices Rajnauth-Lee, Barrow, Jamadar, Ononaiwu, and Eboe-Osuji. The Appellant was represented by Mrs. Cheryl-Lynn Vidal, SC, Director of Public Prosecutions, along with Crown Counsel Ms. Maria Nembhard-Santana, while Mr. Arthur Robert Saldivar appeared on behalf of the Respondents, as per the CCJ release.

The complete judgment is available on the Caribbean Court of Justice’s official website at www.ccj.org.