Reggae artist Sevana pleaded guilty to one count of death by dangerous driving when she appeared in court on Monday.
The reggae singer will know her fate when she returns to court on November 17 for sentencing. She is facing a minimum of five years in jail. The 30-year-old reggae artist appeared in the Westmoreland Circuit Court, where her trial was scheduled to start before Justice Courtney Daye. However, the proceedings did not go further as Sevana’s lawyer, attorney-at-law Everton Deward, indicated that she wished to enter a guilty plea for the May 2021 killing.
The facts by the prosecution are that Sevana, who had received her driver’s license just about a week before the accident occurred, had been driving a Honda Fit motor car along the Scott Cove main road in Whitehouse, Westmoreland, when she struck Ordia Cordiel, who was going in the opposite direction.
Cordiel was rushed to the Black River Hospital, where she was admitted for serious bodily injuries, but she later died on May 30 due to the injuries she suffered. Sevana was charged the next day.
The singer, who is also from Westmoreland, was born Anna Blake. Since her arrest and charge, Sevana has been on bail. Earlier this year, she was granted bail in the sum of JM$400,000 bail with no conditions. On Monday, after she pleaded guilty, she was fingerprinted and ordered to return to court on November 17.
The singer, who is signed to RCA label, was also allowed permission to travel as her music career involves traveling.
Sevana is known for songs like “Mango” and “Set Me On Fire”. Starting as a Digicel Rising Stars contestant in 2008, Sevana’s girl group SLR showed major promise for the music industry and eventually placed third in the overall competition.
Although the group did not last, Sevana went on with her solo career. She was later associated with Grammy-nominated artist Protoje, and she was featured on a track called “Sudden Flight.”
Before her RCA label deal, Sevana was signed to Protoje’s In.Digg.Nation Collective label. However, since her recent legal woes, she is no longer associated with that label.
Under her RCA Label, she released “If You Only Knew” earlier this year.
