Jason Ricardo Layne has been convicted in absentia of murdering his brother after failing to return to court during his trial.
Following a summation by Justice Carlisle Greaves in the No. 3 Supreme Court, a 12-member jury found Layne, of Leadvale, Christ Church, guilty of murdering Anthony Bubba Layne.
He was one of four individuals indicted for the June 4, 2020, fatal shooting.
Ade Omotunde Blackman, of River Land, St Philip, pleaded guilty to the offence before the trial began, while Oshea Kai Greenidge, of Ruby in the same parish, and Shawn Crookendale, of Skeetes Road, St Michael, pleaded guilty during the trial proceedings.
After the jury had heard several days of evidence, Layne, who was on bail, failed to reappear in the Supreme Court, and the trial proceeded in his absence.
Acting Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Krystal Delaney, acting Senior State Counsel Anastacia McMeo-Boyce and State Counsel Kwame Ramsay prosecuted the case, while Layne was represented by lawyers Lesley Cargill-Straker and Kristin Vanderpool.
During the trial, Blackman and Greenidge both became prosecution witnesses under a plea-bargain agreement.
Blackman testified that Greenidge had approached him and spoken about a friend who was having disputes with his brother and wanted him killed. Layne, he testified, agreed to pay him $20 000 to kill his brother and planned where and when the killing would take place.
He explained that the three of them had originally hatched the plot before Crookendale was brought in as a driver. The plan, Blackman testified, involved him dressing as a worker, being transported to the area in separate cars and shooting the deceased.
In his account, Blackman said he left home in shorts, a vest and slippers, with a bag containing a long-sleeved grey shirt, a reflective jacket, long trousers and a Glock .357 containing nine rounds of ammunition. He got into the car with Greenidge and put on the clothes.
They received a call from Layne, who told them to hurry to the location. They arrived in a bushy area where they met with Crookendale, who was driving a rental vehicle. Blackman fitted false number plates to that car, got in and was dropped off in Leadvale at the back of a development.
Blackman told the court, “I walked the road with a white shirt over my head Taliban-style. While I was there, I acted like I was cutting grass. Anthony Layne drove down and reversed and parked near a container and rolled down the window, looking at me suspicious. I waved at him. He did not wave back at me and rolled back up his car window. When he did this, I ran to the car and fired through the car window.”
Blackman, who was represented by attorney Kyle Walkes, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a tariff of 45 years. After deductions for his guilty plea, time spent on remand, and mitigating factors, he has 21 years and 220 days remaining before he becomes eligible for parole.
Greenidge was sentenced to life imprisonment with a tariff of 30 years, which was increased by five years because of aggravating factors. He received a one-quarter discount because he pleaded after the trial had commenced, along with further reductions for time served and his cooperation. He has 22 years and 172 days remaining at Dodds before he can be considered for release. His attorney was Senior Counsel Angella Mitchell-Gittens.
Justice Greaves is scheduled to sentence Layne and Crookendale on December 4. Crookendale is represented by defence lawyers Sade Harris and Elan Greenidge.
(JB)
