The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN will learn on Thursday if he will be sentenced to life imprisonment on a manslaughter charge.

Andrew “Yellow” Knowles appeared before Justice Bernard Turner for sentencing yesterday concerning the death of his friend Delsean Bullard on January 8, 2010, off East Street.

Knowles, in March, initially stood trial on a murder charge, but was acquitted.

However, a jury returned a guilty verdict on the lesser charge of manslaughter as Knowles, according to a confession statement, did not deny that he fired the fatal shot that killed his friend during a night of drinking.

Knowles said it was never his intention to kill Bullard as he had only fired a warning shot when Bullard approached with a cutlass.

In yesterday’s proceedings, prosecutor Koschina Marshall said statute law indicated that a person convicted of manslaughter was liable to life imprisonment.

She cited the case of Larry Raymond Jones where the Court of Appeal set out guidelines for sentencing in manslaughter cases from 18 years to 25 years imprisonment.

Ms Marshall said Knowles, who had previous convictions for assault and disorderly behaviour in 1995 and 2000, warranted a sentence at the higher end of the scale given that a high-powered weapon was used in the commission of the offence.

The prosecutor also contended that Knowles, based on the probation report produced for the court’s consideration, appeared to have deviated from his account of the incident to police.

Knowles’ lawyer Murrio Ducille, countered that his client could be considered to have no antecedents because the convictions were already spent, given the length of time passed since 2000.

Mr Ducille also dismissed suggestions that there was any significant difference between what his client told the police in a record of interview and what he told the probation officer.

Mr Ducille asked the court to balance mercy with justice when determining his client’s fate.

Justice Turner said he would give a decision on July 9 at noon.