Dante Brooks, the son of Jamaican dancehall artiste Mavado, has been freed from a life sentence after having his conviction overturned. Brooks and his co-accused, Andre Hines, were convicted for the 2018 murder of Lorenzo Thomas. The Court of Appeal overturned their conviction on Friday, freeing them from the life sentences they were given in 2021.
Dante Brooks was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Thomas when he was 18 years old. He was required to serve 22 years in prison before he could be eligible for parole, according to reports. Brooks also received additional sentences: a 15-year sentence for arson and a 20-year sentence for illegal possession of a firearm. All three sentences will run at the same time, according to the Jamaica Gleaner.
The co-accused, Andre Hines, was 26 when he received the life sentence. Hines was required to serve 17 years in prison before he was eligible for parole. Along with his life sentence, he was given a 15-year sentence for arson and illegal possession of a firearm.
Justice Leighton Pusey sentenced the two men in the Home Circuit Court on March 19, 2021. Brooks and Hines were found guilty of murdering Thomas, illegal possession of a firearm, and arson in January 2021. Thomas was killed during a home invasion in Cassava Piece, St. Andrew, on June 5, 2018.
Five men reportedly invaded Thomas’ house, and the prosecutor presented evidence in court that Brooks and Hines were among the perpetrators. Thomas was shot, and his father was pushed into another room, according to the report.
The report also stated the killers tried to sever Thomas’ head but gave up when the machete that was being used proved to be too dull. Afterwards, the killers doused the house and Thomas’ body in gasoline and set them on fire. The court also heard Thomas’ father’s eyewitness testimony, in which he said he knew the killers from the community.