Last week, 27-year-old Tyjuan Brown pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his father, Amon Brown, on the night of July 7, 2020.
Director of Public Prosecutions Cindy Clarke told Justice Shade Subair Williams yesterday that the defendant and his father were heard arguing outside of a Cedar Hill residence, when the altercation turned physical and the defendant punched Amon, subsequently knocking him to the ground. The defendant then told his mother that he planned to kill his dad that night because he deserved to die.
Mr. Brown ran up a hill away from his son, who followed him close behind on foot. An ambulance arrived shortly after the defendant was found and taken into custody and Mr. Brown was transported to KEMH where he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. Ms. Clarke told the court that Mr. Brown had 26 separate stab wounds, one which penetrated to his heart.
Mr. Brown’s charge was reduced from murder to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility due to stress exacerbated by alcohol resulting in mental abnormalities.
When he was nine years old, Mr. Brown watched his little sister be struck and killed by a car in 2003 and consistently blamed himself for her death.
Elizabeth Christopher, representing Mr. Brown told the court that the trauma of witnessing his sister’s death “ was not adequately addressed,” and hopes that he can receive enough psychiatric help behind bars to make the most of his time incarcerated.
Victim impact statements were read in Court yesterday and today.
“ The day that I got the call [that Amon was dead], it felt like a dream, which is still a blur,” one of Mr. Brown’s son’s statement read. “ How could you? Why would you? [My father’s death] didn’t really kick in until granny called me to tell me that my father is dead . . . just when I was feeling hope, you snatched everything from me.”
“ To lose my firstborn child to acts of senseless violence at the hands of my grandson is a pain greater than anyone could imagine,” Mr. Brown’s mother and the defendant’s grandmother said. “ The EMTs had my son on the gurney [at St. Mary’s Road] and he was in an unresponsive state. Hearing the words [from my grandson] ‘I killed him, he deserved it’ has tormented me from that moment until now. . . All I wanted to do was be with my son, but all I could do was watch them try to resuscitate him as I stood there hopeless and helpless . . . At this point I don’t even know how to begin to heal and the fact that the perpetrator is my grandson hurts equally as much.”
The defendant’s mother Margaret Moore, who witnessed the altercation between her son and Mr. Brown, asked the Court for the defendant;s psychological stress to be taken into account.
The Crown requests a 25-35 year sentence and Ms. Christopher requests an 11-15 year sentence. The case is adjourned until next Thursday, March 31.
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