Convicted killer jailed, advised to engage in rehab programmes

Manslayer Jamar Ricardo Watson will spend 13 more years in Dodds prison for the stabbing death of Kemar Gooding six years ago.

That was the final sentence from a 17-year starting point imposed on the School Gap, Hindsbury Road, St Michael resident on Friday by Madama Justice Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell, after deductions were made.

Watson had been charged with murdering Gooding on March 27, 2018, but was found guilty of the lesser count of manslaughter after pleading not guilty and opting for a trial in the No.4 Supreme Court.

The evidence disclosed during the trial revealed that Gooding died from a single stab wound to the chest.

In her sentencing remarks Justice Smith-Bovell pointed to the aggravating factors of the offence, including the loss of life and the fact that Watson was pre-armed with a knife capable of inflicting serious bodily harm and/or death. The judge said the evidence of the witnesses was that Watson left the area after the verbal altercation and returned to the terminal with a knife.

“You used that weapon on the deceased who was unarmed at the time and who was defenceless and no threat to you, as he had fallen and was on his back,” said the judge who added that the offence was committed in a public place, “in the busiest public transport terminal in Barbados in broad daylight in the presence of the public”. Another aggravating factor, she said, was the prevalence of this type of offence in society.

A mitigating factor to the offence, according to the judicial officer, was the fact that only one stab wound was inflicted, and that “there may have been an element of provocation”.

Given that the aggravating factors of the crime outweighed the mitigating, the judge gave a starting sentence of 17 years in prison.

Going against the convict was his use of cannabis, said Justice Smith-Bovell, adding that “also of concern to the court, though not considered as an aggravating factor, is that the now-convicted man has accepted no responsibility for the death of the deceased and continues to maintain his innocence when all the evidence in this case has shown that he was the only person in the proximity of the deceased when he was stabbed”.

However, the fact that he had no previous convictions and was at a low risk of reoffending and “generally appears to be of good character” worked in Watson’s favour.

Given those factors, the starting sentence was reduced by two years bringing it to 15 years. Justice Smith-Bovell pointed out that while there was no systemic delay in the case, the “court acknowledges that there was a delay primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic”. Six months were deducted for the delay leaving Watson with 14 years and 6 months left, but he was then credited for the 431 days he had already spent on remand. This left him with a sentence of 13 years and 116 days “which the court rounded off … to 13 years”.

Justice Smith-Bovell also ordered Watson to “participate in any developmental programmes or skills training programmes at the prison to assist in your rehabilitation prospects on your release from prison”.

“You are ordered to enrol in a drug treatment programme while at the prison,” she said.

During the sentencing, State Counsel Paul Prescod held the matter for Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Alliston Seale SC who was the prosecutor. Attorney-at-law Safiya Moore represented the accused.