The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

THE Court of Appeal has issued a summons for a lawyer to explain his absence from the hearing of his client who is contesting a 40-year prison sentence and conviction for the murder of his mother’s boyfriend.

Geoffrey Farquharson, according to convicted murderer Deangelo Pratt, had been privately retained to represent him. However, Pratt told the court he had not seen Mr Farquharson since February.

“He’s been paid?” Justice Anita Allen asked. “Yes ma’am,” Pratt answered. “Did he know of today’s proceedings?” the judge then asked. “I didn’t even know I was coming to court today,” Pratt said of Friday’s proceedings.

“I know I was supposed to see him before I come to court. The last time I saw him was in February when he took some information from me and said he would come back. But he never did,” Pratt said.

In the circumstances the court said it would adjourn the proceedings to tomorrow and issue a summons for Mr Farquharson to appear before them and explain why he did not appear for the appellate proceedings.

In April 2013 a jury unanimously found Pratt guilty of the murder of his mother’s boyfriend on June 21, 2008. According to the evidence, Pratt who had recently lost his job, went to Charles Robinson to borrow money, but his request was dismissed with an insult.

Pratt chopped Robinson with a cutlass in his bedroom and relatives found Pratt washing the blood off his body while outside his mother’s apartment on Carmichael Road.

Pratt, admitted to the murder after police found his red shirt hanging on the fence and a cutlass in his car. He was sentenced to 40 years imprisonment three months after being convicted.