Phipps completes submissions in Sonia Jones' appeal PROMINENT KINGSTON attorney-at-law Sonia Jones, took copious notes on Tuesday and yesterday as her lawyer asked the Court of Appeal to find her convictions for fraud were unreasonable and could not be supported by the evidence. Frank Phipps, Q.C., who is representing Jones, completed his submissions yesterday. Paula Lewellyn, Acting Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, began her submissions yesterday and is asking the Court of Appeal to find that the evidence against Jones was overwhelming. She has also argued that the Resident Magistrate came to the correct conclusion when she found Jones guilty of the charges. Jones was convicted in December 1999 of defrauding two of her clients of US$83,749 and was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment at hard labour. The Crown, represented by Miss Llewellyn and Laurel Gregg, Crown Counsel, led evidence at the trial that in 1995 artist Colin Garland and playwright/actor Lloyd Reckord gave Jones two cheques totalling US$83,749 to invest for them with roll over from year to year and she converted the money to her own use and benefit or to the use and benefit of others. Frank Phipps argued before the Court of Appeal that the money was invested in the Seascape Hotel and there was no request by the clients to account for the money. He said Jones informed the clients where the money was invested and she had invited the clients to come to her office and look at the title deed. Mr. Phipps submitted the clients had never said she failed to give satisfactory account. He said the clients never said the money was not invested. There was no evidence the money involved had ever been used for any other purpose than investment, Mr. Phipps submitted. He said there was ample evidence Jones accounted for the money. The Court of Appeal, comprising the Hon. Ian Forte, President of the Court of Appeal, Mr. Justice Ransford Langrin and Mr. Justice Seymour Panton, extended Jones' bail for her to return to court today when Miss Llewellyn will continue her submissions.
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