Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter
FORMER JAMAICA Defence Force corporal 35-year-old Michael Williams, who in a fit of rage sprayed bullets from a sub-machine gun at his girlfriend's house, was yesterday sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.
Williams had injured five of his girlfriend's family members, including a three-year-old girl, during the shooting incident at Allman Town on December 12, 2004.
In his mitigation plea, attorney-at-law Arthur Kitchin described the incident as a crime of passion. Williams, former bodyguard of Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, JDF Chief of Staff, pleaded guilty in the Gun Court on Monday to illegal possession of firearm and four counts of wounding with intent.
RETURNED WITH GUNS
The facts of the case as outlined by Crown Counsel Anne Marie Nembhard and Vaughn Smith were that, after his girlfriend refused to speak to him, Williams, who was a member of the JDF at the time, went to Up Park Camp. He returned with an Uzi submachine gun and a 9mm pistol and fired shots at the house.
Justice Mahadev Dukharan sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment for illegal possession of firearm and 15 years' imprisonment each on the other charges. The sentences are to run concurrently so he will serve a total of 15 years.
Williams' mother and other family members wept openly outside the court room when they heard the sentence. He is the father of four children ranging in ages from 12 to two years.
Mr. Kitchin told the judge that Williams had borrowed money to help his girlfriend repay $700,000 which she said went missing after someone gave her the money to keep. He said the day before the incident, Williams had bought his girlfriend an outfit to go to her office party, but she went to the party with someone else. Williams went to her house to ask her about it, but she refused to speak with him.
Williams called army officers to give character evidence and one of them said that, from the late 1990s, Williams was having psychological problems and was also suffering from stress. He received treatment at the clinic at Up Park Camp and was last seen at the clinic in 2000. The witnesses said Williams wanted to go on leave but was not given the approval.
The judge said it was an indictment on the JDF that Williams was suffering from depression and was refused leave.
Attorney-at-law Marjorie Shaw Currie is representing the complainants, who are planning to file a civil suit.
