Junior Jarvis files leave to appeal his life sentence

Today, murderer Junior Jarvis’s permission to appeal against the decision of the High Court which sentenced him to life in prison, is expected to be heard.

The leave to appeal is expected to be dealt with at a sitting of the Court of Appeal and will involve written, not oral submissions.

After being briefly involved in Prison Ministry in 2010, Jarvis, a former journalist, found himself sentenced to a lifetime at the institution where he formerly witnessed.

On November 28, 2022, Jarvis was found guilty of the murder of banker, Randy Lawrence; and on March 10,2023 he was sentenced to life in prison.

High Court judge, Brian Cottle said the murder was pre-meditated, unprovoked on the day in question, and the convict was not remorseful.

The Junior Jarvis trial was prosecuted by Director of Public Prosecutions, Sejilla McDowall, Crown Counsel Renee Simmons, and Richie Maitland.

On March 16, SEARCHLIGHT was reliably informed that Jarvis had stated his desire to appeal both his conviction and life sentence.

Jarvis was represented by Kay Bacchus-Baptiste and Ronnia Durham-Balcombe and on Monday Bacchus-Baptiste told SEARCHLIGHT that Jarvis had sought her advice on how to file the leave to appeal and she had given it to him.

She said Jarvis has filed the leave to appeal on his own and she has no doubt that the Court of Appeal will rule in the convicted man’s favour.

Lawrence was shot and killed on February 14, 2017 at Arnos Vale.

A 12 member jury comprising four men and eight women, found Jarvis guilty of the murder of the then 39-year-old Lawrence after three hours of deliberation.

Apart from murder, the jury also unanimously found Jarvis guilty on six other charges.

For one charge, that of attempting to murder Arisha Pompey, the jury did not reach a unanimous decision, but by a 11-1 decision Jarvis was found guilty.

He was sentenced on the other charges which will run concurrently with his life sentence.

He was sentenced to 18 years and nine months for using a firearm to commit murder.

In addition, he was sentenced to two years and six months for abducting Arisha Pompey, and five years for assaulting her and causing her actual bodily harm.

He was sentenced to 15 years for aggravated burglary after he entered the home of Josette Smith as a trespasser with a firearm.