A Maloney Gardens man has been sentenced to hang for the murder of his former girlfriend in 2010.

Sheldon Ishmael Gumbs, also called “Worm,” was before Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds in a judge-only trial at the Port of Spain High Court for the murder of Krystal Richards.

[caption id="attachment_913319" align="alignnone" width="513"] Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds.[/caption]

Gumbs was convicted last week by the judge. He was sentenced to hang.

Richards was killed on May 29, 2010, while in her kitchen at Building 20, Maloney Gardens, at about 10 pm.

Her killer fired a shot through the window. Her body was found by a relative.

In her opening address, lead prosecutor Charmaine Samuel said Richards and Gumbs spoke briefly that evening. She said he and some neighbours were liming at the back of another building at Maloney Gardens when Richards’ daughter heard her speaking to someone briefly at the door at about 9.45 pm.

Samuel said Richards went to the kitchen to make tea and just before 9.57 pm, her daughter heard her on the phone telling someone “she not taking no sorry.”

Soon after, Samuel said three gunshots were heard. Samuel also said Gumbs allegedly confessed to one of the neighbours who was with Gumbs earlier that evening and that he “did not mean to do it.”

That neighbour, Theron Pierre, was deemed hostile at the trial as he claimed police pressured him into giving a statement. In that statement, Pierre claimed Gumbs told him he shot Richards.

It was this evidence the judge relied on to convict Gumbs.

At the trial, the woman’s younger sister, who was 12 at the time of the shooting, and Richards’ daughter testified. Neither could recall certain details of the statements they allegedly gave to the police.

Gumbs was represented by Michelle Ali of the public defenders’ department. State attorneys Charmaine Samuel and Guiliana Guy prosecuted.

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