PHILIPSBURG:--- Three men have each been sentenced to 12 years in prison after the Court of Appeal found them jointly responsible for the fatal shooting outside the Gentlemen’s Club in Defiance on April 13, 2025.
In its October 19, 2026 judgment, the Court convicted D.S.M., A.M.E.C. and A.A.A.C. of co-perpetration of manslaughter and illegal firearm possession. The Court will deduct time already spent in pre-trial detention from their sentences.
The ruling significantly increases the prison terms imposed by the Court of First Instance, where two defendants received eight years each for attempted manslaughter and illegal firearm possession. The third received three years for illegal firearm possession after being acquitted of attempted manslaughter.
The lower court had found insufficient evidence to determine who fired the fatal shot or establish that the three defendants had collaborated in causing the victim’s death. The Court of Appeal reached a different conclusion, finding that all three acted in close and coordinated cooperation.
Dispute escalated into gunfire
The Court traced the confrontation to a longer-running conflict involving allegations about a stolen chain and missing car parts.
At the club, an argument over the car parts developed between D.S.M. and A.M.E.C. on one side and the victim and his friend on the other. During the confrontation, A.M.E.C. loaded his firearm and challenged the victim to come outside.
When the victim left on his scooter and headed toward the exit, A.M.E.C. followed, challenged him to stop, and fired once. The victim abandoned the scooter and fled.
A.A.A.C. and D.S.M. then moved toward the exit, positioning themselves on opposite sides with views of the scooter and the victim’s escape route.
When the victim returned to retrieve his scooter and attempted to leave, A.A.A.C. fired several shots in his direction. The victim fell and fled on foot. D.S.M., positioned on an elevated wall, continued firing at him.
All three held responsible
The Court found that the three defendants fired toward the victim within approximately 30 seconds. Although it could not establish which shot caused his death, it concluded that each defendant made a significant contribution to the attack.
That coordinated conduct formed the basis for holding all three criminally responsible for the killing.
The Court also rejected their self-defense claims, finding that the defendants initiated and carried out the attack.
In determining the sentences, the Court considered their young ages and the absence of previous convictions for similar offenses. It also emphasized the seriousness of the killing, the danger posed to bystanders at a public venue and the broader impact of firearm violence on Sint Maarten.
