Romario Brown, the make-up and graphic artist currently serving time for the murder of designer Dexter Pottinger, yesterday pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter for the killing of 20-year-old Alexia Beepat in 2016.

Brown was out on bail for the murder of Beepat when he stabbed Pottinger to death in 2017 supposedly because he made sexual advances towards him.

Pottinger had posted bail for Brown hours before he was killed.

Brown subsequently pleaded guilty to manslaughter in respect to the killing of Pottinger and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment in 2019.

Yesterday Brown, appearing before Supreme Court Judge Justice Cresencia Brown Beckford in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston, initially pleaded “not guilty” to the three counts on the indictment in which he was charged for murder, larceny of a phone belonging to Beepat and larceny of a laptop belonging to her then boyfriend.

However, his attorney Anthony Williams told the court that Brown had indicated that he wanted to change his plea to “guilty” for manslaughter instead of murder.

After he was re-pleaded on that count, Deputy Director of Prosecutions Adley Duncan, appearing for the Crown, said based on the evidence available to the prosecution, it was prepared to accept the plea.

Duncan said on the other two counts the Crown was offering “no evidence”.

Based on the evidence before the court, Brown and Beepat were engaging in intercourse when an argument developed and he “squeezed her throat and kicked her off the bed”. According to Brown, he had no intention to kill her.

Beepat’s body was discovered by her two roommates when they returned to the shared apartment. Police investigators said the trail led to Brown.

Yesterday Duncan said “given the lack of intent” the prosecution was minded to accept the plea of guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter.

Brown is to be sentenced for Beepat’s killing on February 18th.

In the meantime a plea by his attorney for him to be allowed access to some of his “artistic tools” while in custody was rejected by the judge.

Williams, in making the pitch, said Brown is a very renowned graphic artist who does tattooing for a number of leading artistes and he was asking if some of his materials could be allowed him so he could keep himself occupied while in custody.

Justice Brown, in turning down the request, said, “that is not the purview of the court…that does not fall within the remit of the court”.

Ahead of the proceedings yesterday Brown sat quietly in the prisoner’s dock, at one point clasping his hands before his face and closing his eyes.