Sophia Men Receive Life Sentences for 2020 Murder
December 6 2024 - Sophia residents, 30-year-old Shay Carter and Kaprese Nobrega, 22, were sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2020 murder of Kevin Campbell, a 24-year-old, following unanimous jury verdicts of guilty.
Justice Navindra Singh delivered the sentence at the Demerara High Court on Thursday, imposing a 40-year minimum term for parole eligibility, with additional time for aggravating factors, including premeditation and exceptional brutality.
Dead: Kevin Campbell
The case stemmed from a violent altercation on March 21, 2020. Nobrega had clashed with Campbell's brother, Brandon Smith, at Smith’s home in Sophia.
Later that evening, Nobrega returned with Carter and others, seeking to confront Smith. When they failed to find him, the group targeted Campbell instead.
According to testimony, Carter dragged Campbell from his home while Nobrega and others launched a brutal attack, stabbing him multiple times in the chest, face, and leg.
Despite medical intervention, Campbell succumbed to his injuries on March 27, 2020, at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
His cause of death was identified as adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), resulting from the extensive injuries.
The sentencing hearing was charged with emotion. Relatives of the convicted men shouted and proclaimed their innocence, with Nobrega hurling expletives at the court and Carter maintaining he was "wrongfully incarcerated."
In contrast, Campbell's family expressed quiet relief, shedding tears as they described the devastating impact of the murder.
Defence attorney Ronald Bostwick appealed for leniency, highlighting the convicts’ youth, their potential for rehabilitation, and positive probation and prison conduct reports.
Nobrega was noted for his passion for learning, while Carter was described as an industrious shopkeeper and mechanic.
However, state prosecutor, attorney-at-law Christopher Belfield underscored the heinousness of the crime, citing the use of multiple weapons—including knives, guns, cutlasses, and a pitchfork—and the lack of genuine remorse from the convicts.
He called for a strong sentence to send a clear message that violent crimes would not be tolerated.
Victim impact statements from Campbell's family detailed their profound loss, including the subsequent deaths of his mother and grandmother. Campbell was remembered as a loving and dedicated provider whose death left a lasting void.
Justice Singh condemned the convicts for their lack of remorse, referencing eyewitness testimony and the brutality of the attack.
The judge set a base term of 30 years for parole eligibility, with additional years added for premeditation (five), exceptional brutality (seven), and the profound impact on the victim’s family (three), totalling 45 years.
After deducting five years for favourable probation reports, the parole eligibility was set at 40 years, with further reductions to be made by the prison for pre-trial detention.
