Murder duo sentenced to life imprisonment after five-week trial   |27 February 2023

Verdict met with applause, screams of anguish, and tears

Lussel Labiche and Ashten Elisabeth started their life sentences at the Montagne Posée prison on the morning of Saturday February 25, after a nine-member jury found them guilty of murder and aiding and abetting to commit murder, respectively, for the killing of 21-year-old Sherleytine Ernesta, whose body was discovered in the woods at upper Bougainville on May 4, 2022.

Ernesta had been reported missing by her mother at the Anse Royale police station during the morning of May 3, after failing to return home the night before.

Labiche and Elisabeth were arrested shortly after. The pair were officially charged on May 31, 2022 and pleaded not guilty before the court on July 18, 2022.

They remained in remand custody until the start of the trial on January 15, 2023.

Chief Justice Rony Govinden summed up the case well into the night last Friday and the jurors retired at 11.35pm to return more than two hours later, to deliver a guilty verdict shortly before 2am. It was unanimous in all counts. 

Labiche, who was 44 years old at the time of arrest, was charged with murder, while Elisabeth, then 18 years old, was charged with aiding and abetting.

They were sentenced to life imprisonment for these charges as well as conspiracy to commit murder, where they were both given the maximum sentence of 18 years imprisonment.

Since the two charges will run concurrently they have been given life sentences.

A large group of anguished family members and friends who had gathered at Palais de Justice,  clad in t-shirt printed with Sherleytine’s photo, screamed and applauded upon hearing the verdict, saying justice has been served, while some, including Sherleytine’s mother, Anne Marie, wailed, calling out her daughter’s name, trying to make sense of her daughter’s death.

Sherleytine’s cousin, Anissa Dick, who was also inconsolable, told Seychelles NATION that although she felt justice has been done, it will not bring Sherleytine back.

“I wish they could also end up the same way they did to her. We are happy but we should have tougher sentence here for such crimes,” she said.

A neighbour and friend, who has known Sherleytine all his life, said they would never get over her death.

“What happened to her hurt us immensely and today when we see her mother crying and screaming like this, we cannot be happy although we know they are going to prison for life. Their lives continue but Sherleytine is gone forever,” he said.

Labiche was being represented by Counsel Clifford Andre while Elisabeth was represented by Counsels Rene Durup, Efna Chang-Thiou and Audric Govinden.

Over the five-week trial, both chose to exercise their right to remain silent.

The prosecutors were Hemanth Kumar and Gulmette Leste.

Labiche and Elisabeth have 30 days to appeal their sentence.

The accompanying photos show some highlights of the atmosphere outside the courtroom in the early hours of Saturday.

Text & photos by Patsy Canaya