‘Hothead’ to spend 311 more days in Dodds

St Joseph resident Anthony Alonza Smith was given a 12-year prison sentence for endangering another man’s life when he aimed and discharged a firearm in his direction on April 1, 2012.

However, a one third discount for his guilty plea and the 2,609 days already spent on remand, has left Smith of Clement Rock in Airy Hill, with less than a year to serve at Dodds.

Madam Justice Pamela Beckles handed down the sentence today in the No. 5 Supreme Court in the case prosecuted by Senior Crown Counsel Krystal Delaney in which Smith pleaded guilty to possession of an illegal firearm and unlawfully and maliciously engaging in conduct that placed Jeremy
Young in danger of death or serious bodily harm.

Young was plying his trade as a coconut vendor at Four Roads, Sugar Hill, St Joseph when Smith, who was passing in a vehicle, steered it in his direction causing him to “jump” out the road. He later drove in the same area but stopped and got out of the vehicle. Fearing for his life Young ran on seeing the nozzle of a gun pointed at him and heard Smith utter the words “I going to kill one of wunna!”

When Smith was arrested he told police: “Officer them won’t stop troubling my children. I shoot at them but I did only wanted to frighten them”. He then took police to the area were he had hidden the weapon.

Smith who has eight prior convictions including assault, theft, wounding and possession of a 1.3 revolver previously expressed remorse for the crime telling officials that his head got hot and he lost his mind.

In considering the mitigating and aggravating factors of the case Justice Beckles told Smith a custodial sentence was justifiable under the circumstances, as he had taken the law into his own hands.

“The use of force by you was excessive and wholly out of proportion to any attack which you may have perceived that the accused and others had caused your children. Your intention was to scare the complainant but you did not shoot away from . . . or in the air but pointed the firearm at [him] and discharged a shot. The fact that he was not injured does not negate the fact of your intent . . .”

She then imposed 12-year sentences on each count to run concurrently. Smith was given full credit for his time spent on remand of 2,609 days and a one third discount for his guilty plea leaving him with 311 days left in prison.