Court Rejects Appeals of Men Convicted of Oscar Rosado Sr. Murder

The two men convicted of killing prominent Belize City businessman Oscar Rosado Senior have lost their bid to overturn their convictions and sentences. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeals brought by Brandon Hughes and Jose Daniel Gomez, who were found guilty of Rosado’s April 2018 murder.  The ruling was delivered electronically yesterday, almost ten months after the appeal was heard in October 2025. The panel comprised Justices Michelle Arana, Minnet Hafiz-Bertram Woodstock-Riley and Peter Foster.  Rosado, who was seventy years old, was shot twice in the head during a robbery at Rosado’s Hardware on April twenty-third, 2018. The shooting occurred inside the business and in the presence of his wife.  In December 2022, Justice Suzanne Lamb convicted Hughes and Gomez following a trial without a jury. Hughes was identified as the gunman, while Gomez was convicted as his accomplice under the principle of joint enterprise.  One of the central arguments raised on appeal was that the trial judge did not provide written reasons for the convictions. The defence maintained that the omission amounted to a substantial miscarriage of justice and made the convictions unsafe.  The Court of Appeal acknowledged the importance of a judge providing reasons but concluded that the evidence presented at trial was sufficiently strong to support the convictions. After reviewing the transcript and the evidence, the judges found no basis to interfere with the trial court’s decision.  The ruling has brought another measure of relief to Rosado’s family, more than eight years after his murder. His son, businessman Oscar Rosado Junior, spoke with Love News today about the appellate judges’ decision and what it means for the family.

Hughes was sentenced to life imprisonment and must serve approximately twenty-five years before becoming eligible to apply for parole, after credit was given for the time he spent on remand.  Gomez was sentenced to twelve years in prison with eligibility for parole after serving eight years. His remand time was also deducted from the period he is required to serve. Both convictions and sentences remain in effect.