Keno Lampkin, also known as “Cuz,” was on Wednesday sentenced to 25 years in prison for manslaughter after fatally stabbing Kevin Serraphin during a violent confrontation in 2023.
Lampkin, 28, received the sentence at the High Court before Chief Justice Navindra Singh.
The State was represented by prosecutors Geneva Wills and Christopher Belfield, while Lampkin was defended by attorney George Thomas.
During mitigation, Thomas asked the court to consider that his client was 25 years old at the time of the incident and had been under the influence of alcohol, which he said was not offered as an excuse. He told the court the incident stemmed from a verbal altercation involving the deceased and another individual.
Thomas also pointed to a favourable probation report, which indicated that Lampkin was not of a violent disposition and had participated in rehabilitation programmes while on remand. He described the case as his client’s first involvement in the criminal justice system.
Lampkin was given the opportunity to address the court, where he expressed sorrow for the family’s loss but maintained his innocence.
Relatives of the deceased also delivered victim impact statements. Yolanda James, the sister of the deceased, described the loss as traumatising and called for justice, while his mother, Paula Booker, said her son—her first child—had been family-oriented and supportive, adding that his death had deeply affected her health and wellbeing.
In submissions on sentencing, prosecutor Wills said the deceased had been acting in defence of his wife when he was attacked by a group. She said he sustained multiple incised wounds, reflecting the severity of the assault. Wills urged the court to impose a sentence that would serve as a deterrent, noting the seriousness of the offence.
In handing down sentence, Chief Justice Singh said the court placed weight on the fact that Lampkin did not accept responsibility, which affected considerations of rehabilitation. He noted that sentencing must distinguish between defendants who plead guilty and those who proceed to trial.
The judge set a starting point of 25 years, deducting four years based on the positive probation report. He also added four years in light of the impact on the victim’s family and considered inconsistencies in Lampkin’s account during the trial. The court found no other mitigating factors.
Lampkin was ultimately sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment, with the court ordering that time spent on remand be deducted from the sentence.
