KINGSTON, Jamaica — On December 17 Justice Carolyn Tie Powell is expected to return a sentence for Matthew Hyde, who in 2023 held captive and tortured his ex-girlfriend in his dorm room at The University of the West Indies (The UWI).

During Monday’s sitting, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Ashtelle Steele read, with the press present, excerpts from a victim impact statement detailing the night the young woman was rescued.

“Upon my rescue, I was in complete and utter distress all I could do was cry-”

“I thought I was going to be killed.  I gave up on trying to survive as I thought he was never going to stop.”

The lawyer rebutted a series of cases that were presented by Hyde’s attorney Patrick Peterkin in November when the defence made its submissions.

Steele stressed that there was ‘some level’ of premeditation by Hyde in the act of repeatedly burning the young woman after which the accused reportedly said, “Let me appraise my artwork.”

“He had many opportunities to stop,” the crown attorney argued, adding, “We are of the view that what the accused did in this particular case could amount to torture— it was a deliberate and cruel act.”

Over the course of the sentencing hearing, Peterkin had made appeals to the judge for a sentence no more than four years long on account of Hyde’s age, his guilty plea which prevented a trial, his mental health diagnosis and what he described as the young man’s remorse for his actions.

Steele cited the financial, emotional and physical pain suffered by the complainant.

“I blankly stared at walls for days unable to express myself,” the young woman wrote in her victim impact statement.

Also submitted for consideration was the permanent nature of some of the young woman’s scarring.

Peterkin revealed in court that $2 million  has already been voluntarily paid over to the victim’s attorneys in restitution as part of the criminal proceedings.

Weeks prior, attorneys had confirmed a civil case would be brought against Hyde seeking a “significant sum” in damages.

They indicated during court that the $2 million was less than half of what she is asking.

Submissions from both sides have now ended in the sentencing hearing with Tie-Powell indicating she would take time to consider them.

The sentencing hearing had been ongoing since September when Hyde had entered a guilty plea in the case. Hyde was supported by both parents who were present in court.

— Dana Malcolm