Married lover killed woman, sons over $20,000

The Manchester farmer who slaughtered his lover, their teenage son, and his brother in April 2014 had reportedly told a taxi driver three weeks before the tragedy that he was going to kill the woman because she owed him $20,000 and was refusing to pay.

The 56-year-old killer, Mark Henry, who, last Friday, was given three life sentences in the Home Circuit Court, will have to spend 49 years and six months in prison before he is eligible for parole.

The victims – Nadine Carridice and her sons, 11-year-old Rushan Ellis and 16-year-old Jovan Thomas – were found with knife wounds to their necks on the morning of April 29, 2014, outside their home in Ramble, Manchester.

Ellis was found with his throat slashed, lying in bushes near the home, while his brother, who was Henry’s son, had 14 incised wounds to his neck and three stab wounds to his neck and chest. He was found lying nearby, at the side of the yard.

Their mother, who had four incised wounds to her neck and four stab wounds, was found in the yard, lying near the doorway.

The father of nine was arrested and charged with three counts of murder following the incident.

He was convicted in the Manchester Home Circuit Court on October 5.

Henry, who was married at the time of the murder, had complained to a taxi driver that Carridice’s was refusing to answer her phone whenever he called.

He also told another person who had testified at the recently concluded trial that he hand lent Carridice money and found out that she was cheating and that he was going to kill her.

Prosecutors Shauna-Kay James and Dominque Martin led evidence that Henry murdered the three victims on the night of April 28.

Witnesses testified that Henry had taken a taxi to Ramble on the night of the murders and was seen walking towards the victims’ home after exiting the cab.

BLOOD IN CLOTHES

The two witnesses also recalled that Henry was dressed in a black T-shirt and a pair of black short pants.

A police witness, who had visited Henry’s home on April 29, said they saw him in the same attire, and when he was questioned, he said that he had been wearing them from the day before.

The clothes, along with other items from the crime scene, were seized, and following forensic testing, blood from all three victims was found on the clothes.

During the trial, Henry denied giving any clothes to the police.

He also claimed that the said officer was not the one who had visited his home.

The trial also heard that the officer had observed scratch marks on Henry’s hand, but when questioned, he claimed that he got them while he was chopping sugar cane.

Despite the evidence and his conviction, Henry has maintained his innocence.

During the social enquiry report that was read in court, the probation officer noted that Henry vehemently denied murdering the victims and harboured no remorse.

In fact, the officer said he appeared nonchalant during the interview and described him as being apathetic and lacking empathy.

The officer, however, recalled that Henry was looking forward to reuniting with his family in the free world.

According to the report, Henry shared that he had an enjoyable relationship with his wife, who passed away last year, but that they had a rift when she discovered that he had sired a child with another woman and was opposed to the child residing with them.

He, however, contended that she was being unfair as he had taken her up with five children and had married her and had been the sole provider for those children.

The probation officer said that Henry was seen as a well-respected member of the community and that residents were still shocked and befuddled by the charges. Some, the court heard, were still upset and were of the view that he should have been beheaded instead of taken to the police station.

BEGGING FOR MERCY

Before the sentence was handed down, Henry’s lawyer, Donald Gittens, begged for mercy while pointing out that before his arrest, his client had been an excellent member of his community and was always gainfully employed.

The attorney begged the judge not to give Henry a sentence that would see him spending the rest of his life in prison.

The judge, however, said she could not turn a blind eye to the prevalence of murder in the society and other aggravating factors, including the fact that Henry murdered his own son and that the female victim was his child’s mother and mother of two.

Other aggravating factors included that two of the victims were children, and further, that they were killed outside of their home.

The judge, who relied on case law, different statutes, and the sentencing guidelines, indicated that her starting point was 30 years, but that she added another 30 years due to the aggravating factors.

She, however, credited Henry for the eight years and six months that he had already spent in prison as well as his good social enquiry report and his previous good record, which each earned him a one-year reduction on his sentence.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com