The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has dismissed an application from convicted murderer William “Danny” Mason, who was seeking an extension of time to apply for special leave to appeal his conviction in the high-profile 2016 killing of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas.
Mason, along with four co-accused, was found guilty of Pastor Lucas’s gruesome murder on July 18, 2016. The prosecution’s case relied on circumstantial evidence, including CCTV footage, witness testimony, and forensic analysis.
Mason’s appeal to the Belize Court of Appeal was dismissed on July 11, 2024. His legal team failed to file an application to the CCJ within the prescribed time due to the illness of his attorney. Mason later hired new counsel based in Trinidad and Tobago, who filed the application 117 days after the appeal ruling.
The CCJ acknowledged the explanation for the delay — citing the attorney’s hospitalisation, the logistical challenges of Mason’s incarceration, and the new attorney’s overseas location — but ultimately ruled that the proposed appeal did not present a realistic chance of success. The Court found no merit in Mason’s claims, which included concerns over the circumstantial nature of the evidence, the weight given to certain prosecution material, and a new argument related to double jeopardy.
The CCJ stressed that the double jeopardy argument had not been raised in earlier proceedings and could only be entertained under exceptional circumstances. The panel concluded that there was no risk of a serious miscarriage of justice or any disputable point of law of general public importance.
With this decision, Mason’s murder conviction and sentence remain in place.