Churaman hands down her longest sentence

Chief Magistrate Simone Churaman created some personal history last week when she handed down her longest prison sentence since she has been on the bench.{{more}}

Last week Thursday, Magistrate Churaman sentenced 25-year-old labourer Fillon Gordon to six years imprisonment for unlawfully and maliciously wounding Joel Hannaway. Hannaway, a 22-year-old labourer received a gunshot wound to his left arm, which resulted in the loss of the arm.

Churaman took note to the fact that it was a gun crime and that there is a growing spate of gun related activities in St Vincent. Churaman said that it was also sad that the victim had to lose his arm.

The court heard that at about 12.30 pm on April 9, 2007, police acted on information and went to Pierre Hughes where Hannaway was met with a large wound to his upper left arm. He had to be taken to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital where he spent four weeks.

In a statement given by Hannaway, he said that he was at Vera Jeffers’ residence in Pierre Hughes with his friend Julius Jeffers.

Hannaway said he was sitting in the living room when he saw Vera Jeffers’ granddaughter Kim in the yard. He said he went outside, whereupon Kim told him to duck. Hannaway said he saw Gordon in the yard with a gun in his hand. “Before I could run, Fillon fired a shot at me and it caught me in my left hand”. Hannaway said he fell over an embankment and had to be helped by a neighbour. Hannaway said that he had never had any altercation with the defendant.

Gordon however said that he and Hannaway planted marijuana together and that when he went to the lands where they planted, the marijuana was gone. On his way down, someone told Gordon that it was Hannaway who stole the marijuana. Gordon said he went to where Hannaway was and confronted him. A scuffle then ensued between both men. Gordon said this is when one of Hannaway’s relatives came from inside and fired a shot, catching Hannaway.(KW)