Gunman to spend five more years in prison for crimes

A man convicted on firearm and wounding charges was encouraged to get to know another side of life not just the negative.

“Life requires that you apply wisdom, as it is no easy path. It is always wiser to know another side of life. It doesn’t benefit to only know the negative side. Through effort and application [you can] maintain a different lifestyle,” Justice Elwood Watts told Jafari Anthony Ramsay.

The 21-year-old of Block 2F Silver Hill, Christ Church was sentenced on Friday to six years, five days in jail for using a firearm without a valid licence and four years, five days for unlawfully and maliciously wounding Ackeam Mayers on September 22, 2022.

The time behind bars took into account, among other things, his guilty plea, and the time he had already spent on remand.

The incident occurred at the home of a mutual friend of Mayers and Ramsay. Ramsay fired two shots at Mayers, wounding him in the chest. While two cartridges were recovered, the firearm was never found.

In referring to the presentencing report, it was determined that Ramsay was at a moderate to high risk of reoffending.

The judge considered the offence so serious that a custodial sentence was justified and would show society’s abhorrence to such offences and deter potential offenders.

Ramsay was given time to consider what programmes he would be interested in while in prison.

“It would be to nobody’s benefit if you do not spend it productively. [Failure to enrol ] would mean you are coming back into society ill-equipped and you would have wasted time,” the judge said.

In outlining the aggravating factors Justice Watts described the acts as premeditated and deliberate. The type of weapon used and the prevalence of such offences were also considered aggravating.

“This act was committed in a private home where people ought to feel safe,” the judge added.

The court also looked at the fact that the firearm wasn’t recovered and that Ramsay had been hospitalised.

The trial was held in Supreme Court No.2A. State Counsel Tito Holder was the prosecutor.