Vinson Ariste (Appellant) v The King (Respondent) (Bahamas)
Case ID: JCPC 2019/0010
Jurisdiction: Court of Appeal of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas
Case summary
Issue
Mr Ariste appeals against his conviction for armed robbery on the basis that it was unsafe because:
i. He was denied access to legal representation during his detention, police questioning and at trial;
ii. His confession was obtained by oppression and so should not be admitted as evidence; and
iii. The Judge's directions to the jury in relation to the confession and evidence going to Mr Ariste's character were inadequate.
Facts
On 21 July 2010, Mr Ariste was arrested for armed robbery. He was interviewed and detained at the police station until 25 July 2010, during which time he confessed to committing this offence and several other offences. He did not have access to legal representation. Mr Ariste claims he was tortured into confessing.
Mr Ariste's trial took place on 5-14 March 2012. He remained unrepresented. The only direct evidence directly implicating Mr Ariste was his confession. The Judge rejected his application to exclude the confession. Mr Ariste was convicted by the jury and, on 5 June 2012, sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. On 18 February 2013, Mr Ariste's appeal to the Court of Appeal of The Bahamas was rejected.
In 2016 Mr Ariste was prosecuted for a different robbery on the basis of another confession made during his July 2010 detention. He was legally represented. On 31 March 2016, the Judge held the confession was inadmissible.
Parties
Appellant(s)
Vinson Ariste
Respondent(s)
The King
Appeal
Justices
Lord Lloyd–Jones, Lord Kitchin, Lord Hamblen, Lord Leggatt, Lord Burrows
Hearing start date
28 March 2023
Hearing finish date
28 March 2023
| Watch hearing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 28 March 2023 | Morning session | Afternoon session |
Judgment details
Judgment date
31 May 2023
Neutral citation
[2023] UKPC 18