R v Alexis Liddie

• Jurisdiction: Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Court: High Court (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
• Judge: ‘Morley J’
• Judgment Date: 21 October 2025
• Judgment citation (vLex): [2025] ECSC J1021-1
• Docket Number: CASE SKBHCR 2025/0047

Rex

and

Alexis Liddie

[2025] ECSC J1021-1

CASE SKBHCR 2025/0047

linked to SKBHCR 2022/0013 & 2022/0026

IN THE EASTERN CARIBBEN SUPREME COURT

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

APPEARANCES

Ms Azuree Liburd for the Crown.

The defendant was unrepresented.

SENTENCE

For sacrilege and breach of previous sentences

‘Morley J’

1 Alexis Liddie now 25 (dob 02.07.00) faces sentence for sacrilege on 28.06.24 of the Antioch Baptist Church, being on St Kitts & Nevis an offence akin to burglary, contrary to s26(a) Larceny Act cap 4.16, to which he made early plea of guilty on 18.09.25.

2 The sacrilege on 28.06.24 places him in breach of a sentence of 2 years imprisonment suspended for 2 years, passed on 03.11.22 for sacrilege of the same church committed on 09.02.21, and further in breach of a 2 year probation order passed on 21.04.23 for ‘building-breaking’ of the premises of Indigo Yachts on 06.03.21, contrary to s28(a) Larceny Act, so for that offence he also faces re-sentencing.

3 In short, this sentencing exercise concerns 3 offences, chronologically to be referred to as:

• a. Offence 1 – the sacrilege at Antioch Baptist Church of 09.02.21 under casefile SKBHCR2022/0013 sentenced on 03.11.22;

• b. Offence 2 – the building-breaking at Indigo Yachts of 06.03.21 under casefile SKBHCR2022/0026 sentenced on 21.04.23; and

• c. Offence 3 – the sacrilege again at Antioch Baptist Church of 28.06.24 under casefile SKBHCR2025/0047.

4 Concerning offence 1, the circulated court digest records:

03.11.22

REX V ALEXIS LIDDIE – indictment 13/22

On 03.11.22, unrepresented, Alexis Liddie aged 22 (dob 02.07.00) sought a Goodyear indication of sentence concerning sacrilege, and thereafter pleaded guilty and was sentenced.

On 09.02.21, while drunk with three friends he had broken into the Antioch Baptist Church run by Pastor Lincoln Connor, breaking a window, cutting his leg, and stole money and a computer harddrive to the combined value of $6255ec while ransacking the premises searching for valuables. Arrested on 23.03.21, he admitted the offence and signed a police notebook. He told the court he would drink too much nightly, and smoked cannabis daily, during the hard times of covid isolation, living alone, working as a sometime landscaper and fisherman. He had a previous conviction on 14.02.22 for malicious damage, for which he received time served from the magistrates; and also from the magistrates on 16.05.22, for malicious damage and larceny of $1500ec on 26.04.21 from Pastor Connor, for which he received time served of 11m2w, and for malicious damage (breaking a glass shop door) on 06.05.21, for which he received 10m consecutively, with an earliest release date of 05.12.22.

Calculating the sentence by reference to ECSC guidelines for burglary, though not directly applied, acknowledging the public opprobrium arising from stealing from a church, the maximum sentence for sacrilege being 7 years, the learned judge found a starting point of 4 years, reduced to 3 owing to his cooperation with police, which was then reduced by one-third for plea at this early opportunity, resulting in a sentence calculated at 2 years. On reflection, this was then suspended for 2 years, concurrent to the sentence being served up to 05.12.22, to hang as the sword of Damocles to provide incentive for better behavior, observing Liddie a delinquent on the threshold of becoming a hardened criminal, or reformed, the choice being his. He was also ordered to pay $5000ec in compensation to Pastor Connor, by 01.01.24, being notionally at $100pwec from next year, or he will receive separately 9m imprisonment in default. If he reoffends, he can expect automatically to be jailed for two years in addition to any other sentence he may receive.

5 Concerning offence 2, the circulated court digest records:

21.04.23

REX v ALEXIS LIDDIE – indictment 26/22

On 21.04.23, following earlier plea, unrepresented, Alexis Liddie was sentenced by Morley J for building-breaking and criminal damage, receiving two years' probation, with an order to pay a measure of compensation, being $4000ec, by 01.05.24 or serve 6 months in default.

Liddie had broken into the premises of Indigo Yachts near Budget Marine and the port authority in the early hours of 06.03.21 and had been captured on cctv, admitting to police officers it was him when confronted. He had stolen two security cameras, and damaged various surfaces he had touched by applying a corrosive substance, presumably to hide his fingerprints, damaging inter alia phones, computer keyboards, a filing cabinet, other cameras, and desktops. The combined loss and damage was assessed at just under $ 20000ec. He did more damage than theft, explaining he had been intoxicated. His pre-sentence report by Officer Lauston Percival dated 14.03.23 had implored the court to grant probation, as at 22, Liddie has lived in poverty, having as a child been malnourished, and neglected, such that there was hope yet he might be rehabilitated if in employment, which he had recently secured as a landscaper, and if under probation supervision.

Of note, Liddie had received a suspended sentence on 03.11.22 for burglary of a church, being the offence of ‘sacrilege’, as above. The court noted if both burglaries had been before the court together the outcome might have been immediate custody for each together. However, the Crown had not been aware of the pending burglary of...