12 years, that's how long brothers Clifford and Russell Hyde will be in jail for killing a man outside a Belmopan nightclub in 2004. A jury convicted the brothers on December 21st for the manslaughter of Allyson Castillo, mitigation pleas were heard yesterday, and this morning Justice John Troadio Gonzalez delivered his sentence. Justice Gonzalez told the brothers that while life in prison was the maximum sentence he chose twelve years because the brothers' previous convictions were for offences such as assaulting a police officer and wounding. And though 12 years was at the lower end of the spectrum, before heading to begin that sentence, Russell and Clifford told Keith Swift they are innocent and hope to be vindicated on appeal.
Russell Hyde, Convicted Killer
"I feel very bad about this situation because three other guys were charged with me. The first charge I got was murder and abetment. My charged dropped to abetment and then it went back to murder and then it went back to manslaughter. This clearly is showing that they don't really know what they are doing."
Keith Swift,
Did you stab Allyson Castillo?
Russell Hyde,
"No sir."
Keith Swift,
Are you prepared to spend the next twelve years in jail?
Russell Hyde,
"No sir."
Keith Swift,
So what are you going to do?
Russell Hyde,
"Appeal."
Clifford Hyde, Convicted Killer
"Well from the first time they charged we, they charged us wrongfully. They took away our rights because we should have been charged with manslaughter. They chanced us, we didn't get a fair trial in the court but at the end of the day life goes on and we're going to the Court of Appeal and that's it right there."
The brothers have 21 days to file that appeal. The killing happened in June of 2004 outside the Deja Vu nightclub in Belmopan.A dispute with the victim Allyson Castillo over a parking space is believed to have been the motive. Clifford and Russell were originally charged along with their cousin Dennis Hyde and Russell's brother in law Delvin Galvez. On December 21st the jury acquitted Delvin and Dennis of both murder and manslaughter.
