BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – In a landmark sentencing that underscores judicial efforts to curb rising gun violence in the country, a Barbadian court has handed down a nearly 40-year prison term to a man convicted of murdering the cousin of global pop icon and Barbados national hero Rihanna.
Shawayne Deshawn Williams received a sentence of 38 years and 138 days from the High Court on Friday. The conviction stems from the December 2017 fatal shooting of 21-year-old Tavon Alleyne, who was gunned down near his home on Boxing Day that year. Williams has repeatedly asserted his innocence despite the jury’s guilty verdict delivered earlier in 2024.
In her sentencing remarks, Justice Laurie-Anne Smith-Bovell emphasized that national courts hold a critical responsibility to safeguard communities and deter the proliferation of illegal firearms across the island. Drawing guidance from the 2003 Director of Public Prosecutions Reference, the judge noted that widespread public anxiety over gun-related crime demands clear, harsh sentencing that signals zero tolerance for violence.
“Public concern about illegal firearms and violence and the need for general deterrence must be reflected in the sentences passed by the courts,” Smith-Bovell stated. “The public are entitled to expect the courts to play their part in fighting the proliferation of firearms and violence.”
Court testimony laid out the details of the 2017 killing: Alleyne had just exited a taxi near his residence at approximately 7:00 p.m. on Boxing Day when he was struck by multiple gunshots. One eyewitness positively identified Williams as the individual seen fleeing the shooting scene, while a second witness confirmed Williams was present in the immediate area both shortly before and after the attack occurred.
Smith-Bovell detailed a series of aggravating factors that shaped the harsh sentence, including clear evidence the killing was premeditated. Williams used an unregistered firearm that has never been recovered by law enforcement; the victim was unarmed when he was ambushed in a public residential area; and the killing was confirmed to be an act of retaliation tied to a previous shooting incident involving Williams.
The judge set an initial base sentence of 39 years, then added additional time to account for Williams’ prior criminal record and documented risk of reoffending. The sentence was reduced only to give credit for time Williams already served in remand detention, as well as to account for procedural delays during the legal process.
Alongside the prison term, Williams was ordered to complete a range of rehabilitation programs during his incarceration at Dodds Prison, including academic courses, vocational training, and ongoing psychological counseling to address harmful behavioral patterns.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Alliston Seale SC, had previously argued for an even harsher sentence, recommending that Williams serve between 43 and 45 years behind bars given the severity of the aggravating factors in the case.