Lawyer says sentence ‘bittersweet’ for Sevana - Apologetic singer fined $300,000 but set to avoid prison time

Everton Dewar, the attorney for reggae singer Sevana, who was sentenced on Thursday to pay a fine of $300,000 or spend two years in prison after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, said his client will now "take some time to just relax and get her mind together".

Sevana, whose given name is Anna Blake, also had her licence suspended for two years. The sentence was handed down in the Westmoreland Circuit Court.

In describing the outcome as "satisfactory", Dewar told THE WEEKEND STAR that his client was in a bittersweet mood following the ruling.

"It's really a bittersweet moment for her; she is happy that it is over but at the same time she is very sad about what transpired. I think she will be taking some time just to see where she goes from there but I will leave that to her if she is willing to give a statement. However, I know she needs some time to just relax and get back her mind together then she will decide which route she takes from there," the lawyer said. Dewar said that the defence was "looking towards that type of sentence based on the whole litigation process, based on our submissions and based on how the accident actually happened".

"She is sorry for what transpired and she apologised to the deceased family, we hope an incident like that never happened, but it did, and we just have to move on from there," said Dewar in reference to the deadly incident.

The reports are that on May 25, Sevana, who was travelling along the Scott Cove main road in Whitehouse, Westmoreland, collided with a Honda Fit travelling in the opposite direction.

Ordia Cordiel, who was in the Honda Fit, sustained severe injuries before she died five days later at the Black River Hospital. Sevana was subsequently arrested and charged on June 1. According to Dewar, he saw enough from Sevana to conclude that she was a good person.

"She is really nice if you get to known her. Very humble and positive minded, although our interaction was really limited to the matter at hand. Her personality was evidently calm and warming," Dewar said. He also shared that it was Sevana's intention to continue to show empathy to Cordiel's relatives.

"I know from the inception [that] they prayed together and so forth, but that's all I can say about that for now. I really don't want to comment on that being the fact that they are on the other side, even though the matter is concluded now," he said, adding that "only time alone will help all parties involved".

Dewar agreed with the judge's suggestion that Sevana will need some level of counsel.

"The truth is that whether it is Miss Blake or someone else who had met in an accident and someone had died, that person definitely would need some form of counseling for their mental stability to be back up where it should," Dewar said.

Sevana, who hails from Westmoreland, rose to prominence in 2008 when, as part of the girl group SLR, she placed third in the Digicel Rising Stars competition. As a solo artiste she has released singles such as Nobody Man (2019). She also released the EP Be Somebody in July 2020.