Brothers convicted of fatal home invasion lose appeal
Published:Wednesday | March 29, 2023 | 1:25 PM
Two brothers who were convicted and each sentenced to over 20 years in prison for shooting another man to death during a home invasion over 16 years ago had their appeals dismissed on Wednesday.
Lennox and Paul Brydson were convicted in April 2019 for the shooting death of Richard Allen in November 2007.
Lennox Brydson was sentenced to 27 years in prison at hard labour while Paul Brydson was handed a 22-year prison sentence by Chief Justice Bryan Sykes, who presided over the trial.
Sykes ordered that both men must serve 10 years before they become eligible for parole.
The Brydson brothers, through their attorneys Melrose Reid and Anthony Williams, challenged the convictions and sentence.
The attorneys argued, among other things, that the totality of the evidence related to the identification of their clients was insufficient.
But, a panel of three judges, in their ruling, affirmed the convictions.
The judges also rejected Paul Brydson's application for leave to appeal his sentence.
Prosecutors Andrea Martin-Swaby and Okeeto DaSilva led evidence during the murder trial that around 7:30 a.m. on November 19, 2007, the Brydson brothers were among three men who invaded Allen's home.
A third man, identified only as 'Popaul', was subsequently shot and killed.
According to an eyewitness, who was 16 years old at the time, Allen was lying in a back room of the house when Lennox Brydson, Paul Brydson and 'Popaul' barged in, all carrying handguns.
She said she heard a loud explosion and rushed to the room.
She said she saw the Brydson brothers standing at the entrance to Allen's room.
According to the woman's account, Lennox Brydson pointed his gun at Allen and fired several times.
She said Allen fell to the ground and Lennox Brydson went over him and continued firing before all three escaped on foot.
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