DAVID Allen was 18 years old when he disguised himself as a vagrant and armed himself with a gun on December 5, 2004. He found a cardboard box, tore it apart and lay in wait next to a car for the owner to arrive.

Darryn Baksh, a senior technician at Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd, had just left 51 Degrees nightclub at Cipriani Boulevard in Port of Spain and was about to enter his car when he was approached by Allen, who announced a hold-up. A struggle ensued and Baksh, a 26-year-old Arima resident, was shot once in the stomach. He died shortly after at Port of Spain General Hospital.

Allen was charged with murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter when he appeared before Justice Mark Mohammed in the Port of Spain High Court in May. The plea was accepted by the State and the matter was adjourned for a Probation Officer's report to be forwarded to the court.

When the matter came up for hearing again yesterday, Allen's attorney, Michelle Solomon-Baksh, in making a plea of mitigation on her client's behalf, told Mohammed that Allen was remorseful for what he did.

Solomon-Baksh told the court that Allen, upon his arrest, was co-operative with the police and gave them a statement admitting his guilt. She said he pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Allen, she said, has no previous convictions and has demonstrated during his time in custody that he wanted to turn his life around. Solomon-Baksh said reports from the Trinidad and Tobago Prisons Service portrayed Allen in a favourable light.

She asked the court, in determining what sentence is to be passed on Allen, to take into consideration the time he spent in custody awaiting trial and his remorse, which was demonstrated by his guilty plea.

Mohammed adjourned the matter to Tuesday when it is expected he will pass sentence on Allen.