Javon Dixon has been convicted of manslaughter in the shooting death of Jovin Fuentes. – Photo: Facebook
A Grand Court judge has indicated that if Javon James Dixon helps authorities locate a silver handgun that was used to kill Jovin Omar Fuentes, the court would be minded to offer a reduction when handing down its sentence next month.
Dixon, 29, shot and killed Fuentes in July 2022, over an unpaid $175 debt owed to Dixon’s girlfriend for a rental vehicle which Fuentes hired from her.
The gun used to commit the shooting in broad daylight was never recovered.
Dixon, who was tried twice for the killing, was eventually convicted of manslaughter in February this year and acquitted of the more serious charge of murder.
On Monday, 8 April, during a sentencing hearing, Justice Philip St. John-Stevens asked Dixon’s attorney Riel Karmy-Jones, KC, whether she had received any instructions about the whereabouts of the firearm – to which she replied no.
- Advertisement -
“While it would not aggravate the sentence if the gun is never found, it would go a long way if the weapon was to be discovered,” said St. John-Stevens. “That is to say, the level of gun crime in Cayman is such that the recovery of this firearm would potentially mean one less deadly weapon on the streets, and would serve as significant mitigation.”
In addition to the manslaughter conviction, Dixon was also found guilty of possession of an unlicensed firearm, which carries an average sentence of 10 years in prison.
Similar to murder, a conviction of manslaughter could result in a custodial sentence of life in prison. However, the two charges differ in that a murder conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years, and a conviction of manslaughter carries a range of between 15 and 25 years, with a starting point of 20 years.
It’s unclear what sentence will be passed on Dixon, who listened to the proceedings via video link from Northward Prison.
Karmy-Jones told the court that she was due to have a conference with Dixon in the coming days, after which the court will learn whether any information about the firearm was forthcoming.
Dixon remains in custody until his sentencing next month.
