‘The justice system works’

If Kerry-Ann Walters had her way, Omar Collymore would take his last breath in prison, not only for the vicious murder of her beloved brother but also for plotting the murder of his wife, the mother of his two children.

Nonetheless, she is satisfied with the life sentences handed down to Collymore and his co-accused in the Home Circuit Court yesterday.

“I wanted them to get more, especially Collymore, because this is a gruesome act to do to somebody that you call your wife. You lay down together,” she told The Gleaner yesterday.

“Fi him years dem, mi cyan tell yuh how much mi want him fi get but mi did want him get whol heap, whol heap. When mi say whol heap, dat mean say nuh figure nuh deh deh. Him did fi get di most.”

The 41-year-old United States businessman was yesterday handed two life sentences for the murder of his wife Simone Campbell-Collymore and taxi driver Winston ‘Corey’ Walters, committed on January 2, 2018.

Justice Leighton Pusey, in handing down the sentences, ordered Collymore to serve 46 years and six months before being eligible for parole in relation to Walters’ murder and 44 years and six months for his wife’s murder.

He was also sentenced to 18 months for conspiracy to murder but the sentences are to run concurrently.

The contract killer, Michael Adams, was also sentenced to life in prison for each murder and was ordered to serve 40 years and six months for Campbell-Collymore’s murder; and 42 years and six months for Walters’ murder before the possibility of parole.

For conspiracy to murder, he was given two years and six months. Adams’ sentences will also run concurrently.

Dwayne Pink was similarly sentenced to two life sentences. For Campbell-Collymore’s murder, he was ordered to serve 30 years and six months before parole eligibility; and 32 years and six months for Walters’ murder.

He was also slapped with an 18-month sentence for conspiracy to murder and, like the others, his sentences are to run concurrently.

Shaquilla Edwards, who had withdrawn from the murder plot before the victims were killed and was only found guilty of conspiracy to murder, was sentenced to one year.

All the men had six and half years shaved off each of the sentences for time spent in custody.

‘IT WAS PAINFUL’

Walters’ wife Jewel-Ann wanted the death penalty for Collymore and his cronies, his sister said.

Kerry-Ann, who was in tears during the proceedings and was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point where she felt like passing out, said, for the most part, she was satisfied with the outcome of the case even though she wanted Collymore to get a longer pre-parole sentence.

She, however, expressed disappointment with Edwards’ sentence.

“I don’t think he should have gotten one year because to me, I think if he had said something, maybe he could have done something to stop this,” she said.

The sister said although she was satisfied with the justice system, she thought she would have felt better but that was not her reality yesterday.

“To be honest, it just brings me back to the third of January when I went to Constant Spring. It was painful but I like what the judge did,” she said.

She said while the sentences will bring some closure, the void left by the loss of her brother will never and cannot be filled.

‘I WANTED 60 YEARS’

Karen Campbell, mother of Campbell-Collymore, was also pleased with the outcome, while expressing that the pre-parole sentence for the convicted killers could have been longer.

“I wanted 60 years each but the judge made his decision already, so I’ll accept that and I know with God all things are possible, so God knows why Him give him that,” she told The Gleaner.

But overall, she expressed contentment with the sentences.

“I am satisfied with the sentences that were just handed down. Personally, I must say the judge really did a good job. He was very thorough, he explained everything, why he gave this amount and why he subtracted that amount,” the mother said.

“The justice system works. As my husband says, if you give it a chance, it will work, so thanks to the justice. I know it can’t bring her back but it brings some form of closure and we are satisfied,” she added.

She, too, expressed displeasure with the one-year sentence given to Edwards but said “God know best”.

For her former son-in-law, Karen said she hopes he reflects on his actions and will repent. She is hoping that he and his accomplices recognise that another judgment day is coming when they will stand before the “judge of all judges” and therefore should ensure that they “make their election sure”.

Meanwhile, Kerry-Ann said she hoped other persons who are planning to orchestrate deadly attacks on their loved ones will use the sentences handed down yesterday as a warning.

“I hope anybody out there who is planning this act against dem wife, dem sister, dem mother, dem brother, anybody, I hope dem tek dis as a lesson to know that Jamaica ain’t playing and no matter what, they gonna bring them right there to justice,” she said.

AGGRAVATING FACTORS

Campbell-Collymore and Walters were killed when men rode up on motorbikes and sprayed them with bullets as they waited to be let inside the woman’s Forest Ridge apartment complex in Red Hills, St Andrew, on January 2, 2018.

The 32-year-old mother of two was shot 19 times; while the taxi driver, 36, was shot five times.

Collymore; Adams, 33, a tailor and salesman; and Pink, 34, a construction worker, were found guilty of the murders as well as conspiracy to murder on May 15 following a four-month-long trial.

Justice Pusey, in handing down the sentences, used a starting point of 35 years for the first murder, the female victim; and a starting point of 37 years for the second murder.

In both murders, aggravating factors such as the contract killing and gun murder increased the years but the figure was reduced for time spent in custody and for their previous good record, with the exception of Adams.

In Collymore’s case, the judge, whose sentence had reached as high as 55 years in one instance before reduction, said his role played a big part in the number of years that he received, as he was not only the initiator but the person who relayed messages about his wife’s location and gave orders as to when the murder should be committed and did so with a certain level of urgency.

The judge said he also bore in mind that, “It was a measured plan and that there were attempts by Collymore to conceal his involvement and to make it seem like a robbery”. He also noted that the victim was Collymore’s intimate partner, bemoaning the prevalence of intimate partner violence in the society.

Acting Senior Director of Public Prosecutions, Andrea Martin Swaby, and her colleague Carolyn Wright had asked for the case to be treated as the “worst of the worst” for Collymore, and Edwards to be given pre-parole sentences ranging from 46 years and six months to 48 years and six months for the murders. They had also asked for Pink’s sentence to range from 41 years and six months to 43 years and six months.

Attorney-at-law Diane Jobson represented Collymore, Gnoj MacDonald appeared for Edwards and Earnest Davis for Pink. Attorney-at-law Sanjay Smith defended Adams.

tanesha mundle@gleanerjm.com