‘Long and strong’ jail time for ‘Lord Evil’ trio for ‘tit-for-tat’ gunplay; lawyers appeal

Lawyers for St Lucy gunman Andre Lord Evil Jackman have filed a notice of appeal against his conviction and the 25-years prison sentence he was given Thursday along with two other associates for a shootout that endangered the lives of two men.

Justice Carlisle Greaves declared a “long and strong” sentence on the three St Lucy men for what he considered was a “tit for tat gang-like” attack three years ago, saying the community deserves “a long peace” from them.

Jackman, Kaeron Sylvian Moore and Shane Hakeem Omar Babb were found guilty by a jury earlier this year of having an illegal firearm in their possession as well as unlawfully and recklessly engaging in conduct that placed Reshawn Greaves and Michael Abbott in danger of death or serious bodily harm on September 30, 2018.

Moore and Babb were also found guilty of damaging a house belonging to Chrisandra Greaves.

“This is indeed a very serious case,” said Justice Greaves during a virtual sitting in the No. 3 Supreme Court. “It is a case in which a gang of men descended upon their own neighbourhood… on a quiet Sunday evening, armed with at least four firearms, according to the ballistic and eyewitnesses evidence, with the intent to kill or cause serious injury or endangerment of the lives of rival persons they perceived were responsible for causing the death, by shooting, of a person associated with them.”

The trio’s crimes, the judge said, were a “calculated, deliberate and planned” joint enterprise by men “bent on vengeance”.

The court pointed to the aggravating factors of the cases including the use of at least four powerful firearms and substantial and sustained gunfire, forcing people of the community both inside and outside of their homes to cower and flee in fear.

Justice Greaves said: “There was absolute disregard for the members of the community, including women and small children. Consequently, innocent persons were shot or shot at. Michael Abbott was an apparent innocent to whom the most severe attempt was reserved and who suffered substantial injury, physically, mentally and economically.”

Jackman was the “obvious leader” of the enterprise, the judge noted in handing down the sentences, adding that none of the four firearms has been recovered and “thus remain available for future use by him, his cohorts and or others”.

In the offenders’ favour, he said, were that they had strong family ties and those members would “undoubtedly suffer” due to their incarceration.

But Justice Greaves told the trio: “Each of you have wasted time and talent and will have to spend much time in mediation of your ways. The attack on Mr Abbott, in particular, was a clear case of attempted murder. It has left him a virtual disabled [person] for the rest of his life.

“This was indeed a tit for tat gang-like attack on a community perceived by these convicts as hosting some person or persons they believed were responsible for the shooting down of their associate.”

For damaging Chisandra Greaves’s house a starting sentence of eight years on Moore and Babb was increased to ten years after taking into consideration the aggravating factors.

For using the firearm without a licence, a starting sentence of 12 years for each man was increased to 15 years as the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating features, the judge said.

Conduct endangering the life of Reshawn Greaves attracted a 12-year starting sentence but again the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating factors, Justice Greaves ruled, resulting in the men getting 15 years each for that crime.

He said: “Jackman, Moore and Babb, you knowingly and intentionally participated in conduct which endangered the life of Michael Abbott. As he described it, it was an attempted execution. The evidence suggests he was an innocent law-abiding citizen. Through your brazen arrogant unlawful acts, you could have cost him his life. For that matter, it could have been any innocent citizen you shot that afternoon. You have caused him considerable pain, suffering and economic loss for the rest of his life. You may yet cause his life. You did terrorize that society on that day with so many shots, some have estimated them at about 50.

“That community requires a long peace from you. Your sentence should not only be one that punishes you for this act against your society but it should serve as a deterrent to you and others who consider acting as you did,” Justice said as he imposed a starting 15-year sentence on each man for endangering Abbott’s life. However, that term of imprisonment was increased by ten years given the aggravating and mitigating features.

“This was not an attack by a single gunman with a single firearm but you each formed a group of attackers, and together you used at least four firearms to commit the offence . . . [carried] out that threat in a public place putting the lives of many at risk, including men, women and children and in effect attempted to murder Mr Abbott.

“I do find some sympathy for the predicament of your families’ consequent to your incarceration but for those consequences, you are each entirely to blame.

“I consider therefore that a sentence of 25 years is appropriate.

“Andre Jackman, Kaeron Moore and Shane Babb, the sentence of this court for each of you is 25 years imprisonment with effect from October 21, 2021, less the time each of you have already spent in custody in respect of this matter.”

These sentences will run concurrently.

Up to that date, Jackman had already spent 854 days on remand; Moore, who was represented by attorney Shadia Simpson, 259 days and Babb, who had Verla De Peiza as his lawyer, 525 days. Senior Crown Counsel Neville Watson and Acting Senior Crown Counsel Rudolph Burnett represented the Crown.

Jackman’s attorneys in filling the notice of appeal of his conviction and sentence said they believed “he was prejudiced throughout his trial resulting in a perverse verdict against him. The sentence was excessive and the conviction unsafe”.