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Justice Patrick Thompson Jr. finds former prosecutor guilty of attempting to pervert justice, misprision of felony and misconduct in public office, while acquitting her on three other counts

TIMES CARIBBEAN | ST. KITTS-NEVIS COURT NEWS

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, September 8, 2026 — Former Crown Counsel prosecutor Shantrice Dorset has been convicted of three criminal offences following a closely watched judge-alone trial before High Court Justice Patrick Thompson Jr., bringing a significant chapter of one of the Federation’s most unusual criminal cases to a close ahead of sentencing.

Dorset was found guilty on Counts 2, 4 and 6 of the six-count indictment before the Court and not guilty on Counts 1, 3 and 5.

The convictions relate to Dorset’s dealings with her then-boyfriend Khyron Phillip, also known as “Tall Up,” following the July 20, 2024 killing of Akeem Archibald in Conaree and a separate police investigation concerning Phillip’s possession of a firearm.

The verdict is particularly significant because Dorset was, at the relevant time, a Crown prosecutor working inside the criminal justice system.

THE THREE CONVICTIONS

According to the court account reviewed by Times Caribbean, Dorset was convicted of:

Count 2 — Attempting to Pervert the Course of Justice: The Court found that Dorset sent $560 to Phillip to help him leave St. Kitts and Nevis and thereby evade a police investigation concerning his possession of a firearm.

Count 4 — Misprision of Felony: The Court found that Dorset knew Phillip had unlawfully possessed a firearm and concealed that offence.

Count 6 — Misconduct in Public Office: The Court found that, while serving as a Crown prosecutor and public officer, Dorset assisted Phillip in avoiding detection and apprehension by police while he was a fugitive in connection with the investigation into Archibald’s killing.

Just as important are the counts on which she was acquitted.

The verdict did not establish that Dorset knew Phillip had participated in Archibald’s killing. She was acquitted of the count alleging that the $560 was sent to obstruct the murder investigation, acquitted of an allegation that she knew Phillip had participated in Archibald’s murder and concealed that knowledge, and acquitted of a corruption charge concerning an approach to a senior police officer about the surrender of firearms.

That distinction is central to any accurate reporting of the judgment.

$560 TRANSFER AND FERRY TICKET BECAME KEY EVIDENCE

Much of the prosecution’s case centred on what occurred during the approximately 48 hours after Archibald was killed on Saturday, July 20, 2024.

Evidence before the Court indicated that in the early hours of July 21, Phillip conveyed a rifle to his cousin, Beejay Tuckett. Tuckett’s evidence about receiving the weapon was reportedly unchallenged at trial and, according to the prosecution, supported by messages later extracted from Dorset’s phone.

Then came a sequence on Monday, July 22, which became especially important.

Telephone evidence showed communication between Dorset and Phillip shortly before noon. Dorset accepted in her evidence that Phillip appeared agitated and that she gave him money specifically to enable him to travel overseas.

Bank records showed that at 11:57 a.m. Dorset transferred $560 to Phillip.

Ferry records showed that at 11:57 a.m. — the same minute — Phillip purchased a ferry ticket to St. Eustatius with onward travel to Saint Maarten.

The prosecution argued that the timing was powerful circumstantial evidence.

Justice Thompson did not accept the prosecution’s case to the extent required to find that Dorset sent the money to obstruct the murder investigation. She was acquitted on that allegation.

But the judge did find the evidence sufficient to conclude that the money was sent to assist Phillip in avoiding the firearm investigation.

THOUSANDS OF MESSAGES FORMED PART OF THE CASE

The case was heavily dependent on digital evidence.

The Crown relied on banking and ferry records, telephone data, thousands of extracted text messages and portions of Dorset’s own testimony. The prosecution argued that when those records were considered together, they demonstrated what Dorset knew about Phillip’s circumstances and what she intended when assisting him.

Messages entered into evidence included discussions about Phillip potentially being arrested, his inability to safely return to St. Kitts and the likelihood of another country returning him if authorities circulated information about him.

Other communications referred to DNA evidence, possible firearm possession charges, clothing said to contain Phillip’s DNA and what was described in the messages as “the weapon.”

The Crown’s position was that Dorset possessed knowledge of the firearm investigation that went beyond what an uninvolved person would ordinarily have known.

Justice Thompson ultimately convicted her of misprision of felony in relation to her knowledge and concealment of Phillip’s firearm offence.

PROSECUTION ALLEGED EFFORTS TO CONCEAL CONNECTIONS

Prosecutors also relied on communications they characterised during closing arguments as evidence of efforts to conceal or minimise Dorset’s connection to Phillip.

Evidence included messages concerning communicating in codes, distancing herself from Phillip, disposing of clothing and concern that Dorset herself might be under police surveillance.

The prosecution urged the judge not to examine any single message or action in isolation, but to consider what it said was the combined picture created by the money transfer, ferry ticket, firearm evidence, digital communications and Dorset’s continued contact with Phillip.

CALL TO SENIOR POLICE OFFICER ALSO EXAMINED

The trial also heard evidence concerning a telephone call Dorset made to Assistant Commissioner of Police Travis Rogers at approximately 1:39 p.m. on July 22, 2024, less than two hours after the money transfer and ferry purchase.

Dorset reportedly enquired about whether an amnesty was available for someone surrendering firearms.

The Crown alleged that she was attempting to use her professional relationship with the senior officer to secure favourable treatment connected to Phillip.

Dorset maintained that the enquiry concerned another individual, Leondre Leader.

Messages referring to a possible “deal” and efforts to gather firearms were relied upon by prosecutors to challenge that explanation. But on this issue, Justice Thompson was not satisfied of guilt on the corruption count and acquitted Dorset on Count 5.

HER POSITION AS A PROSECUTOR LOOMED LARGE

What elevated the case beyond an ordinary allegation of assisting a partner was Dorset’s public office.

According to the evidence, Dorset and Phillip remained in communication for months after he left St. Kitts.

The prosecution contended that Dorset updated Phillip about developments in the investigation and continued supporting him while knowing he was not prepared to return voluntarily.

At the time, Dorset was a Crown Counsel prosecutor with professional access to law-enforcement officials and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

It was that intersection between her public responsibilities and her private assistance to Phillip that formed the foundation of the misconduct in public office conviction.

Misconduct in public office is recognised as a common-law offence in St. Kitts and Nevis. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court has previously considered its operation in the Federation, including in litigation arising from charges against former Acting Supervisor of Elections Wingrove George. (vLex)

CASE DATES BACK TO JULY 2024

The wider investigation began after Akeem Archibald was killed in Conaree Village on July 20, 2024.

Police subsequently identified Phillip as a suspect in their investigation and said he had left the Federation by sea.

After information emerged concerning Dorset’s alleged conduct, Director of Public Prosecutions Adlai Smith commissioned a special criminal investigation, involving personnel from several law-enforcement units. Dorset was eventually arrested and charged in January 2025.

The DPP’s Office publicly confirmed at the time that a special investigation had been commissioned after authorities received intelligence concerning Dorset. (SKN Consulate in Toronto)

The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force announced on January 24, 2025 that six charges had been laid against her for alleged conduct occurring between July and October 2024. (Police St. Kitts Nevis)

There is, however, an important procedural point.

The charges described in the original January 2025 public announcements are not identical in formulation to the six counts described in the account of the indictment eventually tried before Justice Thompson. For example, the trial account identifies Count 4 as misprision of felony.

Without the final written indictment or full written reasons for verdict presently available for independent comparison, Times Caribbean does not speculate on when or through what procedural mechanism those changes occurred.

WHAT ATTEMPTING TO PERVERT JUSTICE MEANS

The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court treats interference with the administration of justice as an exceptionally serious category of offending.

Its regional sentencing guidance describes perverting the course of justice broadly as conduct intended to obstruct, hinder, interfere with or improperly affect the administration of justice. The guideline stresses that such behaviour strikes at the functioning of the justice system itself. (Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court)

In a separate St. Kitts case decided in May 2026, DPP v Devin Richardson, Justice Thompson explained that an offence of attempting to pervert the course of justice does not require an actual miscarriage of justice to occur. The court said proceedings do not necessarily have to be underway or imminent, provided the conduct is intentional and creates a real risk to justice. (SKNIS)

That case also confirmed that attempting to pervert the course of justice can carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment in St. Kitts and Nevis, although the maximum is not a prediction of the sentence likely to be imposed in any particular case. (SKNIS)

DORSET REMANDED; SENTENCING NEXT

Following the verdict, Dorset was remanded into custody pending sentencing.

The court account states that both attempting to pervert the course of justice and misconduct in public office expose her to a technical maximum sentence of life imprisonment. But sentencing is an individualised judicial exercise, and the existence of a maximum penalty should not be interpreted as indicating that such a sentence will be imposed.

The judge will be required to assess matters including Dorset’s culpability, the seriousness of the conduct, its actual or potential effect on the administration of justice, her position as a prosecutor, any mitigation advanced by the defence, her previous character and relevant sentencing principles and comparable cases.

Special Prosecutor Adley Duncan, assisted by prosecutor Krystal Sukra, appeared for the Crown, while attorney Denis Merchant represented Dorset.

The verdict leaves a carefully defined legal outcome: three convictions and three acquittals.

Dorset has not been convicted of participating in Akeem Archibald’s killing, nor did the verdict establish that she knew Phillip participated in it. What the High Court found proved was that she assisted Phillip in escaping the firearm investigation, concealed his firearm offence, and — while holding public office as a Crown prosecutor — improperly assisted him while he was a fugitive connected to the murder investigation.

Her sentence will be determined at a subsequent hearing.