Fresh psychiatric evaluation ordered for husband of murdered attorney

Danae Hyman, Online Reporter

Parish Court Judge Sanchia Burrell today ordered a fresh psychiatric evaluation for Kyodia Burnett, the Jamaica Defence Force lieutenant accused of killing his wife in their West Kirkland Heights, St Andrew house last December.

Burrell made the ruling based on an apparent improvement in his health.

“I am not doing too bad your honour,” Burnett said in response when the judge asked him how he was now feeling.

“You do seem to be more actively participating and that means you are doing better, that’s good,” she remarked.

His lawyers Queen's Counsel Jacqueline Samuels-Brown and Zara Lewis told the court that the JDF lieutenant was doing much better arising from his treatment.

Burnett previously suffered from hallucinations, delusions and an inability to speak clearly as part of his schizophrenic diagnosis.

He was remanded for treatment at a mental health institution for two weeks subsequent to reportedly admitting to police investigators that voices told him to kill his wife, attorney-at-law Nordraka Williams Burnett.

He is now being held in custody at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre.

Burrell advised Burnett to continue taking his medications and that if he has any problems with his treatment he should report it to his lawyers.

He is expected to make his next court appearance on April 18.

Meanwhile, the court was told that documents in the case, including the post-mortem report and witness statements, are still outstanding.

Burrell ordered that the documents be served by May 27 and that a committal hearing be concluded on or before July 29.

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