Two Life Sentence QPD Case# 2201216

After less than an hour of deliberating the jury came back with guilty verdicts on all charges against Colin Relford in the home invasion and attempted murder trial. Relford testified on his own behalf saying he had been running from someone when he entered the victim’s house where the gun battle occurred. He was the only defense witness called. On Count 1: Relford received a life sentence for “Attempted Premeditated (First Degree) Murder. On Count 2: the charge of “Felony Attempted Murder,” was vacated because it duplicated the first count. On Count 3: Relford received a life sentence for “Armed Burglary of a Building with a Firearm.” On Count 4: Relford received time served for the “Theft,” charge (719 days). In this case, there was a second phase of the trial because of the charge of “Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.” The jury was not aware of the second phase until after a verdict was given in the first phase of the trial. The reason for separating the charges was to not prejudice the jury because of Relford’s previous convictions. Once the judge read the charge the jury deliberated for less than fifteen minutes and brought back a guilty charge. The judge then sentenced Relford to fifteen years on that verdict.
Information Credit: Byron Spires, Former Editor-IN-Chief at The Havana Herald