murder of his estranged wife Rochelle Marcia West.

Clad in orange prison clothing, the 27-year-old showed no emotion as Chief Justice the Hon. Mr. Justice Ward handed down the sentence in the Supreme Court.

The Chief Justice told him premeditated murder carried the death sentence in Bermuda.

As he was led away from the dock flanked by two prison officers, West, sporting a short beard and moustache and wearing spectacles, smiled at family and friends in the public gallery.

Although the sentence had been met by silence in the public gallery, outside the court it was a different story.

Family members broke down in tears as they took in what had happened, and were comforted and hugged in turn by West's lawyer, Miss Patricia Harvey.

Earlier, the Supreme Court heard only a brief summary of the events leading up to the murder, which West had admitted.

Among the key points in the prosecution's evidence was that West, of Mullet Bay Road, St. George's, and his wife had gone through "acrimonious'' divorce proceedings -- something disputed by the defence.

It was also claimed West, hailed as an outstanding Works and Engineering department employee, had accused his wife of passing on a disease.

Rochelle West was stabbed to death on January 5 this year at the Chamber of Commerce's Hamilton office, where she was a receptionist.

Yesterday was her birthday -- and her family marked the anniversary by a poem in The Royal Gazette .

Headed "In Memory of My Sister'', it was signed by "sister Lona, Elsia and your brother Dalbert, nephew Justin, Mom and Dad.'' The anniversary was also noted yesterday by West, who has made three suicide attempts while in prison.

Attorney General Mr. Elliott Mottley, prosecuting, told the Chief Justice the tragic couple were married in May 1992.

"During the marriage it appears there were a number of disputes,'' Mr.

Mottley said, adding the couple separated last year.

Mr. Mottley continued: "On January 4 the defendant spoke to a friend of his about the deceased and said he felt like killing her.'' West told other people about his feelings -- and once even said he had to get off the Island before he killed his wife.

On January 5, said Mr. Mottley, West took a container of sulphuric acid from his workplace, and armed himself with a knife.

At about 12.15 p.m. he entered the Chamber of Commerce and poured some of the acid on his wife.

"He inflicted a number of stabs with the knife, as a result of which she died almost immediately,'' said Mr. Mottley.

During the attack West made a number of comments -- and said he believed he had caught some disease from his wife.

"He said there was no need to call an ambulance as his wife was dead,'' said Mr. Mottley.

Miss Harvey told the Chief Justice the case had been a very "challenging'' one for her.

She pointed out her client had pleaded guilty on the basis of a confession statement.

West sentenced to death for murder But, she added, West had only intended harming his wife when he entered the Chamber.

"The person to be killed was himself.'' Miss Harvey said West, however, went "haywire'' after entering his wife's office.

"It is a fact that West has attempted to commit suicide on more than one occasion. He attempted again yesterday. That makes it three times in all.'' Miss Harvey took issue with the prosecution's claim that divorce proceedings had been "acrimonious''.

It was accepted they were disputed -- and West had become exasperated because his wife was frustrating his attempts to end the marriage.

"She wouldn't give him the divorce.'' At the outset yesterday, the Chief Justice questioned West to make sure he understood the charge against him, and the consequences.

Legal sources yesterday told The Royal Gazette it was very unlikely the death sentence -- which means hanging in Bermuda -- would be carried out.

The last people to die at the gallows were Erskine (Buck) Burrows and Larry Tacklyn in 1977.