KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Jan 26, CMC – A 27-year-old footballer has been jailed for 19 years after he was found guilty of hitting his former coach in the head with a bottle, knocking him unconscious and resulting in lasting injuries in 2023.
Justice Rickie Burnett imposed the sentence on Aaron Miller, noting that a previous judge had once said that some offenders never learn lessons from their incarceration and the only way of curbing their criminality is through long prison sentences.
“Such sentences are most suitable for repeat offenders,” he said.
A nine-member jury had last November, returned an 8-1 guilty verdict on the charge that Miller had on January 4, 2023 wounded Wade Jackson with the intent to do so.
Miller represented himself at the trial, having pleaded not guilty to the charge on May 29, 2025.
The court heard that Jackson and Miller were well acquainted, having previously shared a coach-player relationship. They were also friends with no history of altercation and Jackson also got along well with Miller’s family, including his children.
But on January. 1, 2023, Miller allegedly assaulted Jackson’s son by slapping him at a public function, resulting in visible injuries, including swelling and discoloration, which the child’s parents later noticed.
Three days later, Jackson was at the Layou Playing Field when he received word that Miller was near the child’s home, threatening violence and calling out the child’s names. Jackson went to the area, where he met Miller next to his son’s home.
Jackson confronted Miller about the reported threats and the previous altercation. Miller pulled out a piece of steel from his pocket and said he was going to harm Jackson and his children.
A physical fight broke out between the two men and while they were separated by a bystander and Jackson left with his children, Miller chased them, throwing stones and bottles at them.
Jackson responded by throwing stones back at Miller, but fell in the neighbour’s yard while doing so. Miller took advantage of this and ran toward Jackson, who was lying on his back, face up.
Miller struck Jackson multiple times to the head with a glass bottle, causing him to fall unconscious and resulting in bruises to the head.
Miller fled the scene and Jackson was assisted and taken to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, where he received medical attention.
The judge said that while the court is allowed to deviate from the sentencing guidelines if the case warrants it, in this case, he intended to follow the guidelines from the Eastern Federal Supreme Court for inflicting unlawful violence with the intent to cause serious harm.
Miller also told the court that his only assets were two cattle with a total value of EC$19,000 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) and that he would sell the cattle if the court ordered him to pay compensation.
He asked the court to impose a fine or order him to pay compensation.
But in calculating the sentence, Justice Burnett put Miller’s crime in the highest category and that Jackson said that since the incident, he has been having recurring headaches, sensitivity to light, causing him to have blackouts, and episodes of vision darkening.
The judge said he had also considered Jackson’s statement about the psychological impact of the incident on him.
The judge established a starting point of 50 per cent of the maximum of 30 years and that Miller was motivated by revenge.
“From the evidence, there was an earlier altercation. The prisoner at the bar alleged that he sustained injuries and that he has to bust somebody’s head,” the judge said, adding that the offence was committed in the presence of others, including Jackson’s children.
Miller also had a conviction for assault occasioning bodily harm, for which he was ordered to pay compensation in 2021. He also had a previous conviction for escaping lawful custody and damage to property.
CMC/kc/ir/2026