A man who accidentally killed his best friend and then fled the scene in a panic has been sentenced to three years in prison.
A tearful Godfrey ‘Nico’ Brown learnt of his fate when he appeared before the St James Circuit Court last week. He was represented by attorneys-at-law Albert Morgan and Sherneika Jackson.
On April 20, Brown pleaded not guilty to murder, guilty to manslaughter, and guilty to illegal possession of firearm.
During the mitigation hearing last Thursday, Morgan emphasized Brown’s attributes and antecedents, highlighting that the only aggravating factor was his possession of an illegal firearm, which ultimately led to a fatality.
High Court Justice Judith Pusey subsequently sentenced Brown to three years, five months and two weeks in prison on the firearm charge and two years five months and two weeks in prison on the charge of manslaughter. The sentences will run concurrently so he will end up serving the longer term.
According to court documents, the shooting occurred on October 26, 2022.
It is alleged that 18-year-old Nicardo Grey of Cornwall Courts was on the road in front of a friend’s house at the complex when Brown, who had a firearm, went outside to greet him.
An explosion was heard and Brown was heard saying he never meant to shoot Grey and that he had been unaware that there was a bullet in the chamber of the gun.
Brown then fled the scene.
Shortly after, Grey was seen lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the right side of his face.
He was rushed to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Brown later turned himself in to the police.
Source- Jamaica Observer
HT- Jamaica, Accidental Death
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BUSINESS
– Elon Musk documents subpoenaed in Jeffrey Epstein lawsuit
Elon Musk has been subpoenaed by the US Virgin Islands in a lawsuit accusing a Wall Street bank of enabling Jeffrey Epstein to sex traffic women.
It calls on the Tesla boss to hand over any documents showing communication between him, JP Morgan Chase bank and Epstein, who died in 2019.
Mr. Musk is not accused of any wrongdoing in the case.
On Monday, he also reiterated denials of suggestions that Epstein had provided him with financial advice.
Jeffrey Epstein died in jail in New York in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The Virgin Islands is suing JP Morgan Chase for allegedly helping enable Epstein’s alleged crimes.
Its case alleges trafficked women were sexually abused by Epstein and others on Little St. James, his private island in the territory.
The Virgin Islands government has accused the bank of not acting on warning signs about the alleged crimes. The bank has denied the allegations.
As part of the case, a court filing on Monday revealed the territory’s authorities had tried to serve Mr. Musk, the multi-billionaire owner of Twitter, with the subpoena but had been unsuccessful.
“The Government [of the US Virgin Islands] contacted Mr. Musk’s counsel via email to ask if he would be authorized to accept service on Mr. Musk’s behalf in this matter, but did not receive a response confirming or denying his authority,” the filing said.
The Virgin Islands also asked a Manhattan federal court judge to allow it to serve Mr. Musk with the subpoena with Tesla’s registered agent.
Mr. Musk may have been referred to the Wall Street banking giant by Epstein, according to the court filing.
However, the Virgin Islands did not provide further explanation for its interest in obtaining documents from Mr. Musk.
Epstein, a financier, had been a client of JP Morgan from 2000 to 2013. Mr. Musk was also been a customer – with JP Morgan in charge of Tesla’s commercial banking business for several years.
Mr. Musk tweeted on Monday that the suggestion that he taken advice from Epstein was “idiotic” and called the late financier a “dumb crook.”
Epstein, who was convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor, moved in social circles that included Prince Andrew and former presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, as well as many key figures of the business world.
Prosecutors in 2019 accused him of running a “vast network” of underage girls for sex.
JP Morgan Chase has denied knowing about Epstein’s crimes.
Source- BBC
