…….Convicted of killing her boyfriend
By FRANCIS JOSEPH
Teneka Granger was just 17 when she was arrested and charged with killing her boyfriend.
Fourteen years later, Granger is a free woman, She walked out of the Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain, last Friday, after she was set free by a High Court Judge.
Granger was released by Justice Devan Rampersad after he reviewed the sentence she received when she pleaded guilty to the offence in October 2023. She was accused of murdering Dwayne “Hoppie” Hills on April 6, 2012.
Hills was stabbed and slashed seven times in his head, neck, face, shoulder and elbow. When she was arrested, Granger confessed to stabbing Hills after he accused her of cheating on him.
Granger said she was defending herself as Hills had threatened to kill her and forced her to drink a quantity of gasoline before she attacked him with a knife.
She was represented by attorneys Michelle Ali and Aleena Ramjag, of the Public Defenders’ Department (PDD).
Granger entered a guilty plea after requesting a Maximum Sentence Indication (MSI). She could not get the death penalty as she was under 18 at the time of the murder.
She was instead sentenced at the Court’s Pleasure with a minimum term of two and a half years before possible release. Justice Rampersad began with a starting sentence of 23 years in prison before deducting two years based on the fact that she had a clean criminal record before committing the crime, her age, and her exemplary disciplinary record while on remand awaiting trial.
Granger was given a one third discount based on her guilty plea and the 11 and a half years she spent on remand was deducted.
Ali and Ramjag recommended that Granger should be released as she already completed the minimum term and appeared ready to reintegrate into society.
They stated that their client had successfully completed almost two dozen educational and behavioural programmes while on remand and Granger served as a radio broadcaster at the Women’s Prison in Arouca.
Justice Rampersad agreed as he quashed her sentence detaining her at the Court’s Pleasure. He also found that a release on licence under the provisions of the Children’s Act was unnecessary.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was represented by Destinee Gray and Makira Mendez.
