Victim tells Court he forgives shooter

After finding out that he is related to his shooter, a victim in a shooting case stood before the High Court at sentencing to say that he had forgiven his assailant.

Emron Jones was sentenced on two counts, possession of an illegal firearm, and wounding Enrico Jack with intent so to do, by Justice Brian Cottle at the High Court on July 12.

Jack was present at the sentencing and indicated that he had something that he wished to tell the court.

This was in light of the fact that he found out he was very closely related to Jones. He told the court that Jones has a grandmother who is very sick, and relies on Jones to take care of her. He said he had forgiven the defendant.

What Jack said he had forgiving Jones for, was shooting him in the chest on March 11, 2013, after trying to rob him at gun point.

Jack was supposedly at Rosita Ash’s shop in Murray’s Village on this day, and was approached by Jones, who held a gun. The defendant then asked for the phone that Jack was holding, but was ignored, as Jack put his phone in his pocket instead.

Jones apparently reacted by slapping Jack in the face, asking him why he was on his turf, and shot him on the left side of his chest.

The case was conducted by crown counsel Karim Nelson, and lawyer for the defense was Samantha Robinson.

Justice Cottle told the defendant, “you used a firearm for a very foolish reason and shot somebody, who, as it turns out, is closely related to you”.

“To his credit, he has come here today to say that he has forgiven you,” Cottle continued.

“That shot in the chest could have killed him,” the Justice told Jones.

Noting that the maximum sentence for one of the offences was 25 years, he asked the defendant’s age, and was informed that it was 32 years.

“So if I were to send you to prison for the next 25 years, you understand what that would mean for you?” he asked.

He also noted the circumstances of the case, in that the defendant was the sole caretaker of his grandmother, and that there were no previous convictions of a similar nature.

On the charge of wounding with intent, he sentenced Jones to two years imprisonment, to be suspended for one year.

On the charge of possession of a firearm without a license, he stressed that the offense was “far too prevalent”. He said that they, “can’t be encouraging young men to think they can be walking around St Vincent with unlicensed firearms”.

The sentence was five years imprisonment for this offense. Jones, with red eyes, was immediately taken away in handcuffs.