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Darrel Grant gets life imprisonment for brutal murder

GeneralDarrel Grant gets life imprisonment for brutal murder
Today convicted murderer Darrel Grant gave notice, in the courtroom of Justice Adolph Lucas, of his intent to appeal the murder verdict given against him. Justice Lucas, however, continued the sentencing portion of Grant’s conviction, which was life imprisonment based on the horrendous nature of the murder.
  
Grant was convicted of murder on Friday, November 12, 2010. The victim, Sandra Ruiz, 39, a mother of two young girls, was said to have been inhumanely and viciously attacked by Grant. Ruiz was repeatedly beaten with a hammer in the head and body and left for dead; she had also been raped.
  
The murder took place at Ruiz’s home whilst she was watching television in her bedroom on August 10, 2008, along with her two little girls age six and twelve at the time of the murder.
  
When Ruiz’s neighbor ran to render aid he noted that he found her lying in a pool of blood, “She was just breathing.”
  
Grant’s, court-appointed attorney, Richard “Dickie” Bradley, explained to the courtroom today, despite Grant’s right to have mitigation pleas, that Grant had no family members or friends who wished to speak on his behalf.
  
Justice Lucas explained that in his capacity as a judge, in the sentencing of Grant, that the most he could impose was a life sentence. The Department of Public Prosecution did not ask for the death penalty.
  
Justice Lucas first explained that in Ruiz’s case, it “was a cruel way of killing a person,” and he continued by telling Grant, “Mr. Grant, I am sentencing you to life imprisonment.”
  
Senior Crown Counsel, prosecution for the DPP, Yohhanhseh Cave, however, explained to us, outside the court, that Grant did not meet the requirements which would allow for a request of the death penalty after a conviction.
 
Cave further told us that in order for Grant to be eligible for the death sentence, which has not been ruled out as an option within our court system, Grant would have to have a history of other crimes involving death.

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