AFTER SPENDING 30 years in prison for murder, 49-year-old Peter Bradshaw was released from HMP Dodds last Saturday morning.
Bradshaw was aged 19 at the time he was convicted of the death of 74-year-old Cyril Sisnett, manager of Francia Plantation in St George. But prior to that, he had been terrorising the island with notorious criminals Winston Hall, Denzil Roberts and David Oliver.
Online readers debated whether the punishment had fit the crime or justice had been done.
Kamille Delaney: He already spent his time, a lot at that. Are you people serious? We want mercy and forgiveness from God and never want to extend it to others. May God help us.
Adrian Allison: Kamille Delaney, I’ll excuse you because you are probably too young to know, but you are dead wrong that he spent his time. Bradshaw was sentenced to death so how can what you say [be] possible? He should have been in the ground, dead and buried, more than three decades ago. You probably weren’t born when these three were causing chaos in this country. He would have gotten his forgiveness from God, but for us Bajans living at that time, this killer should have swung from the gallows until he was dead.
Blaazer Gee: A free man? He may not be incarcerated but is he really a free man? I beg to differ. Think outside the box, see the bigger picture.
Oliver Kraze Mascoll: It is for God to pass judgement, not us. If [he] did his time, so be it; taking other life will never be right.
Rashid Muhammad: This is not justice. Can Cyril Sisnett get up and walk from his grave today? Can time be equal to the life taken? Injustice.
Michael Crichlow: Understanding of the law is not based on personal emotions. You cannot hold people indefinitely if no witnesses can finger or support any crime. Democratic process at work here.
Charmaine Joseph: This world we live in is not easy; no excuse for what happened. Who are we to judge? God forgives us every day for our sin, big or small. Hope he makes a difference in someone’s life.
SO Hinds: The man paid his dues to the public. Hope he did to God and is willing to change or is a changed man.
Veronica A. Piggott: More criminals on the street than him. Stop being judgemental and let God do His work.
JV Reid: Bajans love this idea of eternal punishment. Sad.
Gina Harewood: Thirty years in prison, I’d beg for the death penalty.
Asha Maria De Couteau: I hope he gets ALL the support he needs to reintegrate into society.
• Sherrylyn Toppin is THE NATION’s Online Editor.
