The "cold-hearted" killer of Bermudian Garrow Lightbourne Jr. has lost an appeal against his 20 to 40-year jail term.

Cornell R. (Henny) Shawell claimed the sentence he was given last April for gunning down his 26-year-old cousin in Pennsylvania was "excessive".

But a Montgomery County Court judge this week denied a motion to reconsider the prison term. Montgomery assistant district attorney Jesse King told The Royal Gazette: "His sentence will remain the same as originally stated — 20 to 40 years."

Father-of-two Mr. Lightbourn, who was known as Trevor and was a former student of Elliot Primary, Whitney Institute and CedarBridge Academy, died from a gunshot wound to the chest inflicted by a .38 calibre revolver on January 27, 2008 in Pottstown. He had become a father for the second time just weeks before he was killed.

Shawell pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree murder, possessing an instrument of crime and flight to avoid apprehension in connection with the slaying.

Judge Thomas C. Branca gave him the maximum sentence for the murder, along with three-and-a-half to seven years for fleeing and two-and-a-half to five years for gun possession, to run concurrently.

The judge described Shawell, 30, as "cold-hearted" and said he made excuses for murdering his cousin rather than showing true remorse.