Jordan gets pleasant ‘shock’

A High Court Judge today admonished a 26-year-old man who he sentenced to time served to reintegrate himself back into society.

Justice Randall Worrell had just ruled that Ramon Jordan of Wiltshire Avenue, Bayfield, St Philip had already spent 2,700 days behind bars, the time he would have been given today for his part in the aggravated burglary of a number of business places between 2011 and 2012.

Ramon Jordan and mother Shaunay Jordan on the steps of the Supreme Court today after he was reunited with her following seven years in jail for aggravated burglary.

“Mr Jordan, please reintegrate yourself back into society,” Justice Worrell implored the man who was one of the inmates who had been languishing in jail for some seven years before his case was brought to the attention of the court by a vigilant prison officer.

The judge also told him he would be credited for the delay in his case coming to trial.

He also ruled that while the starting point of his sentence was not less than 15 years, that would be reduced by five years, bringing it to ten and an even further cut of 3,650 days.

That was also reduced by 950 days bringing it to 7,255 days, slashed by another 145 days ending with 2,700 days.

Justice Worrell gave his reasons for the cuts as Jordan’s youth, the principal of rehabilitation, the delay in his matter being heard, his eventual guilty plea and the fact that no one was injured.

However, the judge highlighted that this offence was a serious one that could only be dealt with by imprisonment and must not be seen as a slap on wrist.

Asked to comment on the fact that he was now able to be reunited with his family and would not have to return to prison, Jordan told Barbados TODAY he was surprised at the court’s decision.

“I was shocked,” he said.

However, a delighted Jordan said he would try to keep out of trouble and focus on writing music and getting involved in the performing arts.

His attorney Michael Lashley, QC, was also happy.

“I think justice was served and I hope he would now move on the positive path and put this behind him,” he told Barbados TODAY.

Lashley also promised to do his best to find a job for him in the private sector or assist him in establishing his own business.