Sonia Jones goes to jail - 'Look after my dad for me' By Barbara Gayle,
Staff Reporter
Prominent Kingston attorney-at-law Sonia Jones was sent to jail yesterday after losing her legal battle in the Court of Appeal. Miss Jones was appealing against her convictions and an 18-month sentence for defrauding two clients of US$83,740. Jones, 54, who was attired in a black skirt suit with a multi-coloured blouse, was quickly escorted by police officers to the holding area at the Supreme Court to await transportation to the Women's Prison at Fort Augusta, St. Catherine. "Take care of my dad for me," Jones said to an elderly woman who was seated outside the courtroom after the court declared its ruling. A large number of lawyers and other spectators turned up to hear the outcome of the case. "Justice has been served," said Lloyd Reckord, playwright and actor shortly after the decision was handed down. He was one of the two complainants who were defrauded by Jones. Attorney-at-law Garth McBean informed the court yesterday that he intended to apply to the Court of Appeal for leave to appeal to the Judicial Committee of the United Kingdom Privy Council. The Court will hear the application tomorrow but the Hon. Ian Forte, President of the Court of Appeal said that Mr. McBean would have to satisfy the court that the application was of exceptional public importance. By a majority decision the court held that Senior Resident Magistrate Marcia Hughes,(now deceased) was correct when she found that the prosecution had proven its case against Jones. The Court of Appeal comprising Mr. Justice Forte, Mr. Justice Ransford Langrin and Mr. Justice Seymour Panton heard the appeal. Mr. Justice Langrin dissented. "The appellant used her position as an attorney-at-law, one in whom the public ought to have confidence and trust, to the great detriment and inconvenience of these unsuspecting clients and friends of hers," Mr. Justice Panton said. The Crown represented by Paula Llewellyn, Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (acting) and Laurel Gregg, Crown Counsel led evidence that in 1995 artist Colin Garland and Reckord gave Jones two cheques totalling US$83,740 to invest for them with roll over from year to year. She converted the money to her own use and benefit or to the use and benefit of others. Jones said she had invested the money in the Seascape Hotel, Negril, Westmoreland but Cecile Cannole, a French national who owned the hotel in her testimony for the Crown, said that she had asked Jones, her lawyer, to sell the hotel. She said she bought the hotel for cash and did not authorise Jones to mortgage the hotel. Mr. Justice Forte said that on the evidence, the Resident Magistrate was entitled to come to the conclusion that Jones had not satisfactorily accounted to the complainants for the monies entrusted to her and consequently Jones would be presumed to have fraudulently converted the funds. The Resident Magistrate rejected her attempts to show that the money was invested in Seascape. Mr. Justice Forte said that nothing was offered before the Court of Appeal upon which he could conclude that the Resident Magistrate was unreasonable in coming to such a conclusion. In his dissenting judgment, Mr. Justice Langrin said that Jones was entitled to an acquittal if her objective was to secure an investment for her clients in circumstances where having regard to the power of attorney from Miss. Canolle (owner of Seascape Hotel) it was reasonable to do so. "It appears that the appellant had no fraudulent intent and in fact had authority to deal with the property in the way she did, " he said. He also said that it must always be borne in mind that delay in the payment of debts and matters of a similar nature are better dealt with by the civil court. Jones was represented by Frank Phipps, Q.C. and attorney-at-law Garth McBean. They were instructed by attorney-at-law Gresford Jones who is the appellant's father.
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