NEW TWIST

Former People’s National Party (PNP) member of parliament for St Mary Western, Jolyan Silvera, has reportedly pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter in relation to the death of his wife, Melissa Silvera.

The reported plea was entered on Monday as the matter was set to begin trial before Chief Justice Bryan Sykes in the Gun Court in Kingston. However, details surrounding the circumstances of the plea remain unclear, including whether it has been accepted by the prosecution or the court.

Director of Public Prosecutions Claudette Thompson declined to comment when contacted by The Gleaner, citing that the matter remains before the court and is scheduled to continue on Tuesday.

Proceedings are being heard in camera, in accordance with the Gun Court Act, and members of the media are, therefore, barred from the courtroom.

Silvera, a 52-year-old businessman, was charged with the murder of his wife in January 2024.

Melissa Silvera was found dead at the couple’s Stony Hill, St Andrew residence on November 10, 2023. Her death was initially believed to have resulted from natural causes, but an autopsy conducted three weeks later revealed that she had sustained gunshot wounds. Three bullet fragments were reportedly recovered from her body.

Following the autopsy findings, Silvera was arrested and charged on January 18, 2024. He has remained in custody since then.

The trial was originally slated for January but was postponed after the defence successfully applied for access to critical ballistic evidence, which the forensic laboratory had initially resisted releasing.

In explaining the legal distinction between murder and manslaughter, attorney-at-law Odane Marston, who is not connected to the Silvera case, noted that the key difference lies in intent, or mens rea.

“Murder is the intentional act of causing the death of another human being, while manslaughter is an unintentional act that results in death,” Marston explained. “For murder, there must be an intention to kill or to cause grievous bodily harm. In the case of manslaughter, there is no such intention.”

Marston added that the law also recognises circumstances in which a charge of murder may be reduced to manslaughter, including provocation or abnormalities of the mind.

Sentencing also differs significantly between the two offences. Murder carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, while manslaughter attracts no mandatory penalty, leaving sentencing entirely at the discretion of the presiding judge. Sentences for manslaughter may range from non-custodial penalties to life imprisonment.

Silvera is represented by King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie and attorney-at-law Patrice Riley.

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