BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - TWENTY FOUR-YEAR-OLD Jahdell Browne will continue to take up residence at Her Majesty's Prison and will be undergoing periodic psychiatric evaluation to keep his mental health in check.
So ordered His Lordship Justice Errol Thomas last Thursday (May 17) when Browne appeared at the Basseterre High Court for sentencing, having pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter and one count of unlawful wounding.
Jahdell had originally pleaded not guilty to the murder of John Napier (75) and Sylvester Harris (37) and also to the wounding of Wilfred Simmonds (52), offences he committed on October 25, 2009.
He underwent psychiatric evaluation and was declared fit to stand trial, but later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Information reaching this media house stated that Napier was attacked on the premises of his Cedar Grove home; Harris was assaulted while in his garden at Parray’s Housing, Upper Monkey Hill and Simmonds was wounded a short distance from that location.
The then Police Press and Public Relations Officer, Inspector Cromwell Henry, confirmed that Napier died at his home and Harris succumbed to his injuries at the Joseph N. France Hospital.
At sentencing, Jahdell was represented by Senior Counsel Dr. Henry Browne, who asked His Lordship not to impose a definite sentence but one that would cater to his mental needs, noting that Jahdell's mind and attitude had been affected by a “foreign influence”.
Speaking on Jahdell's behalf was his father Allister Jacobs who said that he was astonished when he heard of the incident involving his son.
He described Jahdell as one who was very quiet, focused and industrious, noting that these qualities made him the favourite of all his children.
Jacobs said that his son entered the workforce at the tender age of 16 and by the time he turned 17, he had already begun constructing his own home.
The father said that after Jahdell had lost his job, he would often be heard saying "See dem dere, dey ain want me build me house".
Jacobs also recounted an incident where Jahdell went to the RLB Airport with the intention of travelling to America and caused such a commotion after learning that he could not go, that members of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force had to be summoned to the scene.
When asked by His Lordship if he had not seen any signs of his son heading "in that direction", Jacobs replied in the negative.
"Be lenient please, in your judgment please be lenient," Jacobs asked the judge.
In Jahdell's Social Inquiry Report, he was described as a serious threat to society, noting that his explanation of the incident shows that he would do it again if given a second chance.
"This is simply horrendous, regardless of what caused it," Justice Thomas said before passing his sentence.
Dr. Browne asked for the same sentence as Melvina Kelly with adjustments to suit Jahdell to which the Judge agreed, sentencing him to be detained at Her Majesty's Prison at the Court's pleasure with periodic psychiatric evaluation.
His Lordship said that the recommendations made in Jahdell's Report along with those made by Consultant Psychiatrist, Sharon Halliday in the previous psychiatric evaluation would be taken into consideration.
Jahdell was also sentenced to five years imprisonment for the unlawful wounding charge which would run concurrently with his custodial charge.
