Jamaican Law enforcement authorities have formally charged one of their fellow officers with murder and multiple violations of the Firearms Act in relation to two separate incidents that occurred in his community on December 27.
The accused has been identified as 32-year-old Constable Jimoke Ingram of Petunia Crescent in Longville Park, Clarendon.
According to a statement released by the JCF Corporate Communication Unit (CCU), the officer and his co-accused, 33-year-old Sheldon Harris, a car wash operator of Poinciana Way in Longville Park, Clarendon, have been charged with murder, possession of a prohibited weapon, unauthorized possession of ammunition, and use of a firearm to commit a felony in connection with the shooting death of 59-year-old farmer Donnett Lowe, who also resided in Longville Park.
The Clarendon police reported that at approximately 4:45 am, two men, one of whom was armed, visited Lowe at his residence and engaged in a brief conversation with him. Shortly thereafter, gunshots were heard, prompting the police to respond. Upon arrival, they discovered Lowe lying in a pool of blood with gunshot wounds to his upper body. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he was pronounced dead by the authorities.
Thanks to the swift action of the law enforcement officers, both suspects were apprehended soon after the incident and positively identified during an identification parade the same day. Following their instincts, investigators conducted a search at Constable Ingram’s residence. In the presence of Ingram and his 32-year-old partner Shanika Simpson, law enforcement officers discovered the following items within a barrel in the couple’s bedroom.
- One pistol
- Two hundred and sixteen (216) 5.56 rounds
- One 20-gauge cartridge
- Fifteen 12-gauge cartridges
- Forty-seven 9mm rounds
- Twenty-six 7.62 rounds
- Sixty-eight .38 special rounds
- Nine M16 magazines
- One sub-machine gun magazine
- Two pistol magazines
The authorities subsequently charged Ingram and Simpson with the following additional charges concerning the gun and ammunition seizure:
- Possession of a Prohibited Weapon
- Unauthorized Possession of Ammunition
- Dealing in Prohibited Weapon
- Stockpiling of Prohibited Weapon and
- Unauthorized use of Premises for the storage of Firearms.
The three suspects will appear in the May Pen Parish Court on Monday, January 08, 2024.
DPP Recommended a three-prong approach to wipe out domestic violence
Domestic violence has become a pressing issue in Jamaica, particularly in recent years. The most current incident that has sparked widespread concern unfolded in Clarendon on Saturday, December 30, 2023. There are various perspectives on what measures the government should take to eliminate domestic violence.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Paula Llewellyn, has put forward three recommendations to the authorities in their efforts to eradicate domestic violence in 2024. Her suggestions come in response to Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s announcement that his administration is planning to establish a comprehensive social services response to domestic violence this year. Miss Llewellyn made her remarks during an interview on the Nationwide News Network on Friday, January 5, 2024.
She highlighted that an analysis of court records from the past decade has revealed an increasing number of cases where children become unintended victims in disputes among adult family members. This revelation comes at a time of widespread condemnation of an incident in Clarendon where a group of women and children violently attacked a 14-year-old girl, allegedly due to her mother’s involvement in a love triangle. The DPP emphasized the need to strengthen the law so that adults who hurt children in their attempts to harm each other are severely punished.
Furthermore, the DPP urged the government to significantly increase the number of social workers in the country. She also directed criticism at the church, suggesting that it has neglected its role as a promoter of socialization and positive values.