Even in death, Hughes fights to clear name, restore reputation of Bartica massacre convict Royden Williams

Years after they were sentenced to death and long after their appeals were filed, attorney Nigel Hughes is pressing the Court of Appeal to continue hearing the case of two Bartica massacre convicts, despite their deaths.

Hughes’s efforts are particularly focused on Mark Royden Williams, called “Smallie,” whose name he hopes can be cleared and whose reputation he hopes to restore, even posthumously, with a final determination of the appeal.

Williams was shot dead by members of the Joint Services in June 2023 following his escape from the Mazaruni Prison. His co-appellant, Dennis Williams, known as “Anaconda,” has also since passed away. Both men were convicted in February 2017 of the brutal 2008 Bartica massacre in which 12 people, including three police officers, were killed during an hour-long rampage.

Attorney Nigel Hughes

Despite their deaths, Hughes argues that justice still demands that their appeal be heard—at least in the case of Royden Williams.

Hughes suggested that there is a matter of reputation and fairness that does not die with a person, implying that the court has a role to play in posthumous vindication if warranted.

However, the State, represented by Prosecutor Diana O’Brien, firmly opposed continuing the appeal. O’Brien argued before the Court of Appeal on Thursday that proceeding with the matter would amount to a waste of state resources and judicial time.

The case was called before Justices Dawn Gregory, Rishi Persaud, and Joanne Barlow. Notably, Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Yonette Cummings-Edwards, who had previously presided over the matter, recused herself in an earlier hearing due to prior involvement in the case during its time in the High Court. She was replaced by Justice Gregory.

The original convictions stemmed from a night of terror in February 2008, when gunmen stormed the riverside town of Bartica, executing a deadly assault that left police officers Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir, Constables Shane Fredericks and Ron Osborne, and civilians Edwin Gilkes, Dexter Adrian, Irving Ferreira, Deonarine Singh, Ronald Gomes, Ashraf Khan, Abdool Yasseen, Errol Thomas, and Baldeo Singh dead.

Following their conviction, Royden and Dennis Williams filed notices of appeal on February 16, 2017, claiming their trials were unfair and that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.

Another co-accused, Roger “Goat Man” Simon, was acquitted of all charges. Two others, cousins Clebert Reece (“Chi Chi”) and Michael Caesar (“Capone”), pleaded guilty to lesser charges of manslaughter and received sentences of 35 and 60 years, respectively. They too have appealed their sentences.

During Thursday’s hearing, attorney Dexter Smartt, representing Reece and Caesar, requested more time to file submissions on their behalf. While the State has made it clear that the deceased appellants should not tie up the court, it acknowledges that Caesar and Reece still await judgment on their appeals.

The Court of Appeal has adjourned the case to July 17 for final arguments and submission of any outstanding documents. Whether the appeal for the deceased Williams will proceed remains uncertain—but Hughes’s push to clear his client’s name continues.

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