Appeal Court sets aside conviction, orders new trial for murder accused

Dec 21, 2018 News

The Court of Appeal has set aside the 57-year jail sentence that was imposed on Quaison Jones, for murder, and sent the matter back to the High Court for trial.
Jones, 61, called ‘Blondie’, a fish vendor, was convicted by a jury for the January 17, 2011 murder of Marlon Greene, which occurred at the Meadow Bank Wharf, Georgetown.
According to reports, on the day in question, some fish cleaners were attracted by loud hollering and when they ran to the location they allegedly observed Jones cuffing away at Greene.
It was reported that a closer look revealed that Jones was armed with a knife, and there were bloodstains on the blade. Greene’s windpipe and jugular vein were severed according to the Pathologist. His cause of death was given as shock and haemorrhage.
Following the sentence and conviction, Jones, through his Attorney, filed an appeal contesting the severity of the sentence and the issue of misdirection by the trial Judge Navindra Singh, who imposed the jail term.
Hearing the appeal earlier this month were Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Yonette Cummings-Edwards, and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud.

Quaison Jones

Appearing for the State was Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Diane Kaulesar. Attorneys-at-Law Ronald Burch-Smith and Keoma Griffith are representing Jones.
During his submissions at the appeal court earlier this month, Burch-Smith argued that based on the evidence, his client was part of a group of men who had attacked Greene. During the trial, none of the witnesses called by the prosecution indicated who the aggressor was.
The lawyer further argued that Justice Singh failed to direct the jury to consider self -defence, accident or even provocation, when he urged the jury to convict Jones of murder if they found that Greene died as a result of injuries inflicted on him by the convict.
Advancing further arguments, Burch-Smith noted that self-defence does not always see someone retreating and running away. He said that in criminal law, self-defence means that a person may use reasonable force in the defence of himself or another.
The lawyer told the court that the alleged killing occurred in broad daylight, and he found it strange that only close relatives and friends of the deceased were called as prosecution witnesses. Even after he was convicted, Jones maintained his innocence.
Jones at the time of his sentencing had shouted in court, “it wasn’t me”, adding that he never had any problems with Greene.
Jones had also denied ever seeing prosecution witness Nicholas Isaacs, who had testified to seeing him stabbing away at Greene.

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