Last week 41-year-old Devon Jones, pleaded down from attempted murder to the lesser charge of dangerous harm. This is after a 2014 maiming incident where which happened at Key Ley Restaurant on Freetown Road.
Jones and Francis Gill got into an argument which ended when Jones got into his Chevy Blazer to ram Gill's body, crushing his leg against the wall of the restaurant. Gill had to get an above-the-knee amputation, and as soon as he was well enough, he sued James in a civil claim and won a couple hundred thousand dollars in compensation.
But the criminal case persisted and it finally came to an end today with sentencing from Justice Ricardo O'Neil Sandcroft. Jones was fortunate to receive a suspended sentence - and the brother of the now deceased Francis Gill gave the non custodial sentence his blessing - saying they don't want a family to be without their loved one.
Jones's attorney, OJ Elrington says his client was very relieved:
Orson OJ Elrington, Attorney
"Well I would think that if you were facing up to life imprisonment and you are able to walk a free man today, you'd be very happy. But of course, he understands the seriousness of the offence he committed, and he has shown himself prior and subsequent to that that it was a one-off incident. The judge in considering many different factors in making his decision, of course the fact that Mr. Jones pleaded guilty early, the fact that prior to this incident he did not have a conviction before the court, the fact that Mr. Jones is a contributing member for society both a farmer and an electrician, the fact that he expressed and showed that he was genuinely sorry for his actions and last but not least, the fact that the family came here today in the form of Mr. Vaughan Gill and his father and expressed that they forgive Mr. Jones and they believe that their son and brother had forgiven Mr. Jones before he passed and so for the judge after considering all those things decided that he would render a sentence which would show that seriousness of the charges, because even as the charge was reduce from attempted murder which carries the maximum life imprisonment - even after reducing from that to deadly mean of harm would also have been a 10 years sentence - he use his discretion and decided that he would give a suspended sentence of 3 years, meaning that Mr. Jones cannot come in conflict with the law for 3 years or he would serve a term of 3 years. He also rendered a fine of $4,000 and as ordered him to have 2 years of anger management."
Jones was given until December 2023 to pay his fine.
