作者： admin

MANCHESTER, Jamaica — A violent double homicide has shaken the community of Mandeville, following a targeted shooting at a local bar on Manchester Road this Monday evening. The victims have been officially identified by law enforcement as Nicholas Tomlinson, a 40-year-old truck driver, and Chester Smith, a 32-year-old laborer. Both men were residents of the May Day district in Manchester parish.

According to police reports, the incident occurred at approximately 8:45 p.m. Local residents reported being startled by a series of loud explosions, later confirmed as gunfire, which prompted emergency calls to the authorities. Upon arrival, police discovered both men with severe gunshot wounds. They were urgently transported to a nearby medical facility but were subsequently pronounced dead upon arrival.

This tragic event marks the third homicide recorded in the Manchester parish within a devastating 24-hour timeframe. In a separate but related incident, the body of an unidentified man was discovered earlier on Monday morning along a haul road in the Brokenhurst community, further intensifying concerns over a potential surge in local violent crime. Investigations into both incidents are actively ongoing, with authorities pursuing multiple leads to apprehend the perpetrators responsible for the latest attack.

MANCHESTER, Jamaica — A grim discovery unfolded Monday morning in Brokenhurst, Manchester, where local authorities identified a homicide victim found along a secluded haul road. The deceased has been confirmed as 41-year-old Everol Richards, a maintenance worker residing on Villa Road in Mandeville.

Superintendent Carey Duncan, head of the Manchester police, provided preliminary details at the crime scene after responding to the incident. According to Superintendent Duncan, area residents reported hearing what sounded like loud explosions approximately at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday evening. Despite these audible disturbances, law enforcement officials received no immediate alerts.

The situation escalated the following morning when an anonymous passerby encountered the grim scene at approximately 6:25 a.m. on Monday. The individual promptly notified authorities, who subsequently arrived to find Richards’ body bearing visible injuries consistent with gunshot wounds. The remote location of the haul road, typically used for industrial transport, suggests the possibility of a targeted attack, though police investigations remain ongoing to establish motive and circumstances surrounding the killing. The Manchester police are urging anyone with relevant information to come forward as they work to apprehend those responsible for this violent crime.

In response to the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Melissa, a coalition of Jamaica’s foremost creative talents has launched a unified public service initiative to bolster national recovery efforts throughout the holiday season and into the new year. The collaborative campaign, orchestrated by Social Impact Media (a division of Bissoon Production Limited) alongside GDFILMS Production Company Ltd, represents a strategic mobilization of cultural influence to foster collective responsibility and hope following the Category 5 storm’s devastation.

The production brings together an unprecedented assembly of thirteen influential figures from entertainment, media, and advocacy sectors. Participants include multi-platinum international artist OMI, social media entrepreneur Chiney K, vegan restaurateur Kamilia McDonald, television host Neville Bell, OD, and former Miss World Yendi Phillipps. The diverse coalition also features comedian Christopher ‘Johnny’ Daley, sign language interpreter Toni Aikens, women’s advocate Cortia Bingham, comedian Ity Ellis, gospel artist Kevin Downswell, public-speaking coach Krystal Tomlinson, and reggae artist Kumar—all united under the executive production of Debbie Bissoon.

According to Bissoon, the project emerged from spontaneous collaboration among creatives already engaged in relief efforts across affected parishes. ‘We recorded over two days with an energy of togetherness throughout,’ she noted. ‘These amazing folks were already doing their part and were more than happy to join the mission.’ The production received immediate support from cinematographer Garreth M. Daley of GDFILMS and Phase 3 Productions, building on previous successful collaborations including the ‘No Violence in Love’ domestic awareness campaign.

The technical execution involved editor Micheal Burbridge of Maleless films, makeup artists Charissa Zoe and Trish McDonald, reflecting what Bissoon describes as utilizing ‘our strengths for social impact.’ Cinematographer Daley emphasized the project’s core objective: ‘Our goal was to create something that connected. The PSA calls on the support and resilience of the Jamaican people as we move forward together.’

The initiative aims to maintain public engagement with recovery efforts through strategic messaging that transcends traditional disaster response timelines. By leveraging the credibility and reach of trusted cultural figures, the campaign seeks to inspire sustained participation in rebuilding processes while reinforcing national identity and solidarity both within Jamaica and across the global diaspora.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – In a significant environmental enforcement operation, Guyana’s Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) has apprehended an individual linked to a major mercury smuggling incident. The interception occurred on Sunday at Crabwood Creek in Corentyne, Berbice, where authorities discovered the highly toxic substance concealed within a vehicle crossing from neighboring Suriname.

The confiscated mercury, with an estimated street value of GUY$18 million (approximately US$72,000), represents a substantial threat to public health and environmental safety. CANU officials conducted a thorough search of the suspect vehicle, uncovering multiple parcels containing what was later confirmed to be mercury—a strictly controlled substance under Guyanese regulations.

This seizure aligns with Guyana’s ongoing national initiative to eliminate mercury use in gold processing operations. The toxic metal poses severe ecological risks as it contaminates air, water systems, marine life, and soil, eventually entering the human food chain. Mercury exposure can lead to serious neurological and health disorders, making its trafficking a high-priority concern for regulatory agencies.

Following the interception, the suspect remains in custody assisting with investigations. The seized mercury has been transferred to the Ministry of Natural Resources for specialized processing and safe disposal procedures. This operation underscores the government’s strengthened commitment to combating environmental crimes and protecting public welfare through enhanced border surveillance and interagency cooperation.

MANCHESTER, Jamaica — A violent double homicide occurred at a bar located on Manchester Road in Mandeville on Monday evening, resulting in the deaths of two unidentified men. The incident represents the third murder recorded in Manchester parish within a devastating 24-hour timeframe.

According to preliminary investigative reports, the attack transpired at approximately 9:00 p.m. Local residents reported being startled by a series of loud explosive sounds, later confirmed as gunshots, which prompted immediate calls to law enforcement authorities. Police units dispatched to the scene discovered both victims critically injured from multiple gunshot wounds.

Emergency medical services rapidly transported the wounded men to a nearby hospital; however, medical personnel pronounced both deceased upon arrival. The Jamaica Constabulary Force has not yet released the identities of the slain men, pending formal notification of their next of kin and further investigation.

This tragic shooting follows another gruesome discovery made earlier on Monday morning, when the body of an unidentified man was found on a haul road in the Brokenhurst community. The consecutive incidents have heightened concerns about violent crime in the region, with three lives lost within a single day.

In a landmark ruling that balanced judicial integrity with constitutional accountability, Jamaica’s Court of Appeal has maintained the murder conviction and life sentence of Dwayne ‘Chad’ Smith while formally acknowledging a significant breach of his constitutional rights due to procedural delays.

The judicial panel, presided over by Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop alongside Justices Evan Brown and Lorna Shelly-Williams, delivered a comprehensive verdict rejecting all grounds of Smith’s appeal against his 2019 conviction for the 2011 murder of Clive Palmer. The court determined that despite a six-year delay in the appellate process that violated Smith’s right to a timely hearing, the conviction remained legally sound and the sentence appropriate.

The case originated from a fatal August 2011 incident in McCook’s Pen, St. Catherine, where Smith was identified by multiple witnesses as the perpetrator who shot Palmer while he was gathered with others under an apple tree. The 2019 trial concluded with Smith receiving a life sentence with parole eligibility after 20 years.

Defense attorney John Clarke had presented multiple arguments for overturning the conviction, citing alleged judicial errors including improper admission of hearsay evidence, weaknesses in visual identification testimony, and failure to provide sentence reduction remedies for constitutional violations.

The appellate court systematically addressed each contention, noting that while the trial judge had failed to specify the methodology for determining the 20-year minimum term, the sentence was justified given the aggravating circumstances: a home invasion involving firearm violence committed before multiple witnesses, with the weapon never recovered. The judges emphasized that such crimes remain prevalent in Jamaican society.

Regarding the constitutional breach, the court acknowledged the six-year appellate delay as ‘unacceptable’ but noted that Smith had already received substantial sentencing benefits—including seven years’ credit for pre-trial remand time plus an additional three-year reduction. The court calculated that any entitlement for appellate delay would not exceed eighteen months, an amount already effectively covered in the original sentencing consideration.

Rather than reducing the sentence further, the court elected to formally acknowledge the constitutional violation and issue a public apology while letting the original punishment stand. The ruling establishes that not every constitutional breach automatically warrants sentence reduction, particularly when the defendant has already received substantial sentencing considerations.

The court’s final order refused leave to appeal both conviction and sentence, mandated that the sentence be calculated from its original June 28, 2019 imposition date, and formally apologized for the violation of Smith’s constitutional rights under sections 16(1) and 16(8) of the Jamaican Constitution.