A St Andrew shopkeeper found guilty of shooting a woman to death during a dispute is to be sentenced in the Gun Court on September 30.
Thirty-three-year-old Wayne Martin of Molynes Road was found guilty of murdering Kerry-Ann Watson by a seven-member jury on August 3, following a trial that lasted for two-and-a-half weeks. The trial was presided over by Justice Christine McDonald.
According to the prosecution, on February 4, 2012 about 8 am, Watson had a conversation with Martin’s girlfriend at McVille Terrace, more popularly known as Ackee Walk. Martin then went to Watson’s gate and tried to speak to her, but she refused and he reacted by stoning her.
An argument then developed between the two of them and Martin was pulled away. However, within minutes Martin returned and the argument resumed with both individuals using expletives.
During the argument, Martin hit Watson with a stone and she retaliated by hitting him with a shovel and ran inside her yard. Watson’s sister then intervened and held onto Martin in an effort to quash the dispute, but saw when he reached inside his pants for a gun.
Watson’s brother then ran out of the yard with a knife and stabbed at Martin before he ran off. Martin then pulled away from Watson’s sister, pulled the gun and fired one shot hitting Watson in the right side of her head, killing her.
During the trial, the prosecution successfully proved that Martin intentionally killed Watson. But Martin denied killing the woman on purpose. He maintained that Watson was killed by accident while he was defending himself from her brother, who had the gun.
Martin said that he and the brother were wrestling for the gun when he heard the explosion. He said the gun fell and he ran off. The Crown was represented by prosecutors Natalie Ebanks Miller and Lenster Lewis-Meade.