Arsonist Joel McKenzie McDonald Springer is expected to know his fate in another few months.
A presentencing report was ordered on the 52-year-old of Hope Road and Northumberland, St Lucy resident when he appeared before Justice Randall Worrell today where Senior Crown Counsel Olivia Davis presented the facts on the charges against him in the No. 2 Supreme Court.
Springer admitted that he and an unknown person had possession of a pipe gun and one round of ammunition on May 21, 2014. He also pleaded guilty to the charge that he and an unknown person damaged by fire the home of Mervin Koieman and also entered the home of Nicole Hinds on the same date and inflicted grievous bodily harm on her. Springer and the unknown person had a knife and a firearm at the time of the offences.
Prosecutor Davis told the court that Hinds and Springer had been in a relationship for 17 to 18 years but the relationship had ended in May 2014.
On May 21 that year Hinds, who is a mother of three, was at home with a male friend at a rented property when they were awoken to a noise around 11:30 p.m. She saw two figures in the dark bedroom and as she shouted for her son she felt a pain to her head and something warm running down her face. She began to fight with the perpetrator. At one point the light located in the bedroom came on and she was able to see Springer’s face as he stood over her.
The male friend, according to Davis, saw a man coming from a manhole in the bedroom but both men were wearing masks. One of them he said held him by his throat.
Police were summoned to the scene and it was at that time that lawmen saw smoked coming from the roof of the next-door apartment. Koieman was the caretaker of the property. The fire service responded to the scene.
Hinds was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment of three stab wounds to the head, three to the back, a laceration under her left foot and a wound to her knee. She also lost two fingernails on each hand.
Springer was also taken to hospital for treatment of a deep laceration to his right hand.
Investigations continued and in the area near the apartments police retrieved a black pipe gun, one brown and one black coloured mask, a piece of wire, a blue canister containing propane, a round of ammunition, a black haversack and a yellow bicycle.
Fire officers also conducted their own investigation and concluded that the fire set to the apartment’s ceiling was not electrical or accidental.
Justice Worrell adjourned the case till tomorrow when Springer’s time on remand will be revealed by a prisoner officer.
He will then return to the No. 2 Supreme Court on September 13 when the pre-sentencing report on Springer is expected to be heard by the court.