A High Court has sentenced a man to 11 years in jail, who at the age of 14 years in 2023 breached his curfew, stabbed a 19-year-old man to death and then threatened to ‘deal with’ the deceased man’s relatives one by one.
Justice Rickie Burnett has set a starting point of 30 years’ imprisonment, a notional life sentence, here when he began the sentencing phase for Tyshaun Spring, who could have been spending 16 years, six months and 13 days behind bars had it not been for the guidance given to judges by the court that they reduce by up to one-third, the sentences handed down on minors. Spring had pleaded not guilty in January 2025 to a charge that on November 21, 2023, at Georgetown, a town which was known for its sugar production, he murdered Oneil Delicia, another resident of the community.
However, in May 2025, after Spring’s mother testified in the case, his lawyer, Ronald Marks, asked that he be rearraigned. Spring then pleaded guilty to murder.
In sentencing Spring, the judge said that the aggravating features of the offence are that it was committed in full view of the public, that the attack was unprovoked, and that the accused had committed the offence while on curfew.
Spring was granted a full one-third discount for his guilty plea, reducing the sentence by 9 years and four months. The court then deducted the two years, one month, and 17 days he spent on remand, reducing the sentence to 16 years, six months, and 13 days.
Justice Burnett noted that in accordance with the practice direction, the court should reduce the sentence to at most two-thirds of the term appropriate for an adult offender to reflect Spring’s youth and immaturity.
He therefore ordered Spring to spend 11 years in prison, rather than 16 years, six months and 13 days.
In his summation of the case, Justice Burnett did not reveal the full names of witnesses, identifying them by their initials instead.
The High Court heard that on November 21, 2023 in the evening, Delicia was in the backyard of a residence with friends and that Spring, accompanied by another person, arrived on a bicycle.
A confrontation later ensued with Spring taking out a black-handled knife from the right side of his waist, and stabbing Delcia repeatedly. Spring remained at the scene with the knife before he was disarmed by female witness, who also sought medical assistance for Delicia.
Delicia’s brother, seeing his sibling’s injury, took a piece of iron from a nearby vehicle and pursued Spring, who managed to escape.
A report was then made to the police and a police officer retrieved the bloody knife. The police layer visited the Georgetown Hospital where Delicia was was pronounced dead that same evening.
Spring was later located near his grandmother’s house, where he was overheard threatening to kill other people.
The court heard he was taken to the Georgetown Hospital for medical attention after claiming that he had sustained injuries, but the medical examination reported no acute physical findings.
A post-mortem conducted on Delicia’s body concluded that he died of multiple sharp-point injuries, including 9-cm and 18-cm gaping wounds.
Spring was later was assessed by a forensic psychologist and according to the report of June 2, 2025, prepared by Dr. Enyinne Williams, Spring admitted to drinking heavily and that he had smoked daily from the age of 13 years.
The psychiatrist said he had no pertinent psychiatric issues and a social inquiry report said there had been ongoing issues between Spring and Delicia’s family from primary school into secondary school.
There were several reports of incidents involving the parties.
The report said Spring grew up with his grandmother and his aunt. At the time of the stabbing, he was on a curfew and should have been at home, but went to his grandmother’s place.
Delicia’s mother said her family has not been the same since the passing of her son, which has left the family emotionally and psychologically challenged.