St Catherine, Jamaica — A 22-year-old man who admitted to fatally stabbing a 14-year-old woman he claimed was his “girlfriend” has been sentenced to life in jail.
On Friday, Justice Bertram Morrison handed down the sentence within the St Catherine Circuit Courtroom, ordering that Shemar McCalla should serve at the least 15 years and 9 months earlier than turning into eligible for parole.
McCalla was convicted of the Could 2021 homicide of Denesha Cooper, a teen from Naseberry Grove in St Catherine.
In keeping with court docket information, McCalla attacked Cooper round 9 p.m. on Could 8, 2021, stabbing her a number of instances with a knife. He then tried to flee the scene however was captured by residents.
Cooper was rushed to the Spanish City Hospital, the place she succumbed to her accidents two days later.
Throughout sentencing, Justice Morrison acknowledged McCalla’s regret however pressured that his actions had devastating penalties.
“You could have taken the lifetime of a teen whom you mentioned that you simply had a relationship with, although she was underage,” the choose acknowledged. “This can be a unhappy act, and premeditation can’t be omitted, as you agreed that you simply beloved her and didn’t need to lose her.”
McCalla’s legal professional, Nicholas Edmonds, urged the court docket to indicate leniency, arguing that McCalla was a teen on the time of the crime, had proven regret, and was not past redemption.
Justice Morrison acknowledged the lawyer’s “eloquence” however emphasised that McCalla have to be held accountable for his actions.
McCalla had already spent two years and 7 months in jail earlier than his sentencing. His responsible plea spared the court docket a trial, however the severity of the crime left no room for a lighter punishment.
The case has reignited issues over gender-based violence and the safety of minors in Jamaica, with advocates calling for stronger safeguards for younger ladies in susceptible conditions.
