Life in Prison for Darbin Romero

While one man walked free from a murder charge in San Pedro, another Belize City resident, Darbin Joel Romero, was sentenced to life imprisonment today after pleading guilty to murder. Romero, twenty-four, of Sibun Street, was represented by attorney Peta Gay Bradley of Legal Aid. He entered his guilty plea on December seventeenth, 2024, and sentencing was deferred until today by Justice Nigel Pilgrim. Justice Pilgrim handed down a life sentence, starting at twenty-five years. Due to Romero being a repeat offender, the sentence was increased by two years, making it twenty-seven years. Considering mitigating factors like Romero’s good character, remorse, and potential for rehabilitation, five years were deducted, bringing it to twenty-two years. An additional two years were deducted for his guilty plea, resulting in a final term of twenty years. Romero’s sentence is effective from April twelfth, 2022, when he was first remanded to the Belize Central Prison.