Convicted murderer Timothy Jackman is to walk away a free man after the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal ruled today that he had served his sentence in full.

Represented by attorneys Wendel Alexander and Wayne Benjamin Marsh, Jackman’s legal team successfully argued that a clerical error had mistakenly extended his recorded sentence.

Jackman was originally sentenced to about nine years and three months for manslaughter in the 2018 killing of his 25‐year‐old transgender partner, Arnal “Angel” Joseph, during a domestic dispute. However, a misprint on his release card and the erroneous inclusion of extra years resulted in a recorded sentence of 11 years and 9 months. This mistake went unnoticed until after Jackman’s premature release from His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) last June, followed by his re-arrest on grounds of public trust.

Jackman’s lawyers filed a constitutional claim, arguing that his rights were violated when he received an incorrect prison term and release date—and was then re-incarcerated. It took the judiciary over six years to uncover the error, which extended his sentence by an extra two and a half years. Justice Ann-Marie Smith had originally calculated a 112‑month term (approximately nine years and three months), but a warrant was mistakenly issued for the longer term.

Alexander criticized the oversight, noting that multiple legal professionals—including the Director of Public Prosecutions, the judge, the defence attorney, and the registrar—failed to catch the mistake. The error, which even the Superintendent of Prisons, Colonel Trevor Pennyfeather, attributed to “a human error” (with the years 2021 and 2022 being counted twice), may expose the government to significant financial liabilities.

While Justice Renne Williams said last year that he was bound by the court order to keep Jackman incarcerated until June 29, 2026—unless the error is formally corrected— he acknowledged that the case raised serious constitutional issues.

Jackman’s lawyers have also filed a civil lawsuit against the government for cruel and inhuman treatment, with the hearing scheduled for April.