Delroy Walker, a kind-hearted man from Birmingham, was killed in Jamaica weeks after retiring to the island, where he was constructing his ideal home. The 63-year-old, who devoted much of his life to charitable work, was fatally attacked by a resentful laborer he had hired to prepare the property for his family’s planned visit in 2018.
Dwayne Barton, 32, was sentenced to 27 years in prison, while his accomplice, Davian Edwards, 33, received a 22-year term this week after being convicted of murder at St. Mary Circuit Court in Jamaica.
Walker, who was born in Jamaica, moved to the UK with his parents at age 11 as part of the Windrush generation. He worked as a carpenter, builder, and school caretaker but had long wished to return to Jamaica for retirement—a dream he fulfilled in late 2017.
Steve Walker, 59, said his brother had purchased a home by the sea and employed local workers to renovate it. Delroy had been eager to assist the community by hiring people from the area. Unfortunately, a minor conflict with Barton escalated, leading the man to return and fatally stab him in April 2018.
The killing occurred shortly before the deaths of Gayle and Charlie Anderson, a retired couple from Manchester, leading to concerns that returning British retirees were being deliberately attacked. Jamaican authorities increased security in response.
Following this week’s sentencing, Steve, a former technician from London, stated that the lengthy prison terms sent a strong message that Jamaica would no longer tolerate such violence.
He described his brother as warm-hearted and caring, eagerly anticipating his family’s visit—an occasion he would never experience. “Justice has been served, but it doesn’t fill the void,” Steve said. “I like Jamaica, but Delroy loved it. He should be here with me, sharing this place he adored.”
The family plans to meet with UK officials to express their frustration over what they see as an indifferent response from the government. Steve recalled being told initially that his brother "wasn’t British enough" due to his dual nationality, a statement he found deeply unsettling.
Legal proceedings in Jamaica often face significant delays, and it took seven years to bring the case to trial, despite strong evidence linking the suspects to the crime.
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