The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

OLAIN Escarment has been granted an extension by the Court of Appeal to serve notice against his conviction for attempted murder.

Escarment’s lawyer, Geoffrey Farquharson, argued yesterday that his client had not been made aware of his right to appeal at the time of his punishment.

He is to return to the appellate court on September 23 for substantive hearing.

Escarment, 25, was unanimously convicted last January of the April 8, 2011, attempted murder of Marcus Coakley. The jury accepted Coakley’s testimony that the two were arguing over a woman when Escarment pulled out a gun and shot him. However, Escarment claimed that the shooting was in self-defence and occurred when the two struggled for the gun, which, he said, belonged to Coakley.

Escarment was convicted and, in February 2013, was sentenced by Senior Justice Jon Isaacs to 23 years imprisonment. However, the judge took into account the time Escarment had spent on remand awaiting trial. The sentence was reduced to 21 years and two months.