Barbara Gayle, Star Writer
The Court of Appeal has ruled that former police constable Jeffrey Peart must serve his 21-month sentence for soliciting and accepting $20,000 from 47-year-old taxi driver Delroy Frame, who he and his sister subsequently murdered.
Peart and his sister Roxanne Peart are now serving life sentences for Frame's murder.
Resident Magistrate Sheron Barnes convicted Peart in May last year of breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act. Peart, 24, who was represented by attorney-at-law Lambert Johnson, appealed against his convictions and sentence.
The court after hearing submissions on Thursday from Director of Public Prosecutions, Paula Llewellyn, and Crown Counsel, Lori Ann Cole-Montague, upheld the submissions and dismissed the appeal.
Captured on video
Evidence was given at the trial that in April 2012, there was an accident involving Frame's motor car and a motor car owned by Peart. He attempted to solicit $30,000 from Frame. A report was made to the police and Peart, who was stationed at the Negril Police Station, Westmoreland, was captured on video accepting $20,000 from Frame. Peart was arrested and charged.
Frame was lured by Peart and his sister from Hanover, where he lived, to St Ann in May 2012. Frame's headless body was found in Wild Cane, St Ann, on May 19, 2012.
RM Barnes, on the application of the Crown, admitted into evidence under section 31 D of the Evidence Act, the statement which Fray had given to the police as there was proof that Frame had died.
Following the discovery of Frame's body, the police conducted intensive investigation and charged Peart and his sister with murder.
A jury convicted them in the St Ann Circuit Court in November last year. Justice Courtney Daye sentenced them to life imprisonment. Jeffrey Peart was ordered to serve 35 years before parole, while his sister was ordered to serve 16 years before parole.
No comments:
Post a Comment