By LAMECH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
THE Court of Appeal has affirmed the conviction and 15-year sentence of a man who a Supreme Court jury found guilty of having a role in the fatal robbery of a Cash for Gold employee four years ago.
Harrison Watkins, 28, stood trial in November 2014 alongside Natario Walkins, 27, Valentino Bethel, 24, Sean Zhivargo Collie, 41, in connection with the January 19, 2013 robbery of Christopher Outten.
During evidence given at the trial, Outten and his wife, who were employed at US Gold/Cash for Gold in the Jireh Plaza, had left the store around 4pm on January 19, 2013. They stopped at the automated teller machines of two banking institutions before heading home.
On arrival at their residence, Outten was approached by a masked gunman and ordered to get down. His wife escaped and ran to a neighbour’s house for help. When she returned, she found that her husband had been shot.
Natario Walkins and Bethel were found guilty of murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery and murder. Collie and Harrison Walkins were found guilty on the conspiracy charges.
In January 2015, Harrison Watkins was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the two convictions, which he subsequently challenged to the appellate court.
However, he and his lawyer Halson Moultrie were unable to convince the appellate court last Friday that the judge erred in any of his directions to the jury concerning the evidence at the trial.
The presiding panel of Justices Dame Anita Allen, Stella Crane-Scott and Roy Jones agreed to dismiss his appeal and affirm both conviction and sentence.
Olivia Pratt-Nixon was the Crown respondent in the appellate hearing.
Commenting has been disabled for this item.