MP wants 300-year prison time for killers
Published:Wednesday | January 5, 2022 | 12:11 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Morland Wilson, member of parliament (MP) for Westmoreland Western, wants stronger penalties for convicted murderers.
“Three hundred years in prison, I think, is quite acceptable for persons who are going around slaughtering others in their community,” the first-time lawmaker said on Monday.
“Someone who is committing crimes of this nature needs to be put behind bars for an extended period of time.”
Wilson’s comments relate to mounting bloodshed in the western Jamaica parish of Westmoreland, which has registered five murders in the first four days of 2022.
Two brothers, Dervin Jones, 43, and Sheldon Jones, 41, were gunned down at their home in Carawina early Tuesday.
Tajay Stewart, 22, and 29-year-old Damar Martin, of Frazer Land, were slaughtered on New Year’s Day.
Derrick Sterling, a 28-year-old labourer of Retreat, has also been killed.
Wilson, acknowledged that the police are working very hard and said with the help of the military, there is a need to lock up these criminals.
However, defence attorney Michael Hemmings, who is also president of the Cornwall Bar Association, rejected Wilson’s proposal of a 300-year sentence for killers.
“Absolutely not, I couldn’t support a position like that,” Hemmings said on Monday.
The attorney pointed out that there is adequate legislation in place to treat with offences against the person, including manslaughter and murder.
“Each case is determined on its own merit before the court based on the set of circumstances.”
Hemmings also cited sentencing guidelines now being used by judges as part of his rationale to support his stance against the method suggested by Wilson.
“Again, we will have to look at the circumstances where a person either pleads guilty or is found guilty by a court of law. There are mitigating factors that are used to determine the sentences and also the aggravating factors used to determine the sentence,” he said.