Spooners and Elvin Smith Freed After Kidnapping Charges

Tonight, we bring you a shocking story involving two Belize City men, Oliver Sutherland, also known as ‘Spooner,’ and Erlin Smith. Back in March 2021, they kidnapped a fifteen-year-old boy and subjected him to horrific torture. They stood on his hand, cut off a piece of his pinky finger, hit him with a broom, and shocked him multiple times in the chest. The mastermind behind this cruelty demanded to know who sent the boy to find him, keeping the minor captive for hours. This morning, Sutherland and Smith appeared before Justice Derick Sylvester in the High Court after entering a plea bargain. They pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of wounding, having initially faced charges of kidnapping and wounding. The judge considered the new sentencing guidelines and the facts of the case, which included the brutal details of their actions. On March thirteenth, 2021, the duo intentionally and unlawfully wounded the minor, kicking him in the stomach, punching him in the face, and burning him with hot wax. The entire ordeal was live-streamed on Facebook until a knock on the door allowed the boy to escape. He was later treated at K.H.M.H. for multiple injuries. The police investigation led to the arrest of Sutherland and Smith on March fourteenth, 2021. Initially charged with kidnapping, they were later also charged with wounding based on directives from the DPP’s office. The judge considered the aggravating and mitigating factors, including the young age of the victim and the severity of the violence. Although the victim has since died from an unrelated incident, the court did not overlook the gravity of what the men did. The judge sentenced Sutherland to a two-year suspended sentence, meaning he must stay out of trouble for six months or face imprisonment. He was also ordered to pay two thousand, five hundred dollars in compensation to the victim’s father. Both men, having served time on remand, walked out of court as free men and shared positive messages for the youth of Belize.