by Roy Davis (freelance reporter)

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Apr. 24, 2023

A sentence of 42 years and 3 months was imposed on Leon Walford, 37, today by Justice Ricardo Sandcroft for the murder of American national Lamont Lipka, which occurred in 2018 in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye. The original sentence was 47 years, but Justice Sandcroft subtracted 4 years and 9 months, which was the time Walford had spent on remand.

Before he passed sentence, Justice Sandcroft said that the murder was premeditated and that Walford has not shown any remorse.

Lipka, the owner of Tropicana Restaurant in San Pedro, was gunned down while he was near the bar attending to patrons. Footage from the cameras that was admitted into evidence at the trial, showed that Walford entered the restaurant and shot Lipka multiple times before he ran out of the building. Walford’s co-defendant, Tracey Betancourt, was also convicted of Lipka’s murder, but she jumped bail before the date for sentencing and she is currently still at large.

At the trial in June last year, the Crown, represented by Crown Counsel Reese Cattouse, led video evidence to show that Walford and Betancourt, who allegedly hired him to kill Lipka, were going in and out of a hotel room in San Pedro, along with two others.

One of the accomplices, who turned Crown witness, testified that on the night of the murder, he took Walford to Lipka’s restaurant. During the shooting several patrons ran out of the restaurant, leaving their food behind. Walford hid the murder weapon, a gun, in a boatyard nearby after he fled.

Walford returned to Belize City the following day on a plane flight paid for him by Betancourt.

Walford testified at the trial and denied that he committed the murder. He gave an alibi testimony in which he claimed that he was with his mother at his mother’s house at the time of the incident. His mother testified and corroborated his alibi testimony.

Cattouse rebutted both of their testimonies, and under cross examination he played video evidence which showed Walford running away from the restaurant with a gun in his hand. Despite the video evidence, Walford’s mother still denied that her son was the perpetrator, and Cattouse pointed out to the court that Walford displayed a distinct limp on one of his legs while he was running.

It was a trial without a jury and Justice Sandcroft found them guilty.

Walford was represented by attorney Darrell Bradley, while Betancourt was represented by attorney Anthony Sylvestre.