Mentally ill St Catherine man gets two years for manslaughter

A St Catherine man who used a garden fork to kill another was given two years imprisonment in the St Catherine Circuit Court.

The accused is 31-year-old labourer Iran Cole of Reid's Mountain, St Catherine. He was sentenced by Justice Bertram Morrison on Monday.

He was charged with the October 10, 2014, death of 52-year-old Kenneth Gordon.

The accused mother, the only eyewitness, died before the accused was fit to stand trial.

He was found guilty of manslaughter by Justice Morrison in the judge-only trial.

During the sentencing, Cole's mental health issue was pointed out by attorneys-at-law Donald Bryan and Abena Morris.

The court heard that on the day of the murder, there was a disagreement between the accused and his mother and Gordon intervened.

A physical tussle followed, and Cole used the garden fork to stab Gordon in the neck. He was taken to hospital and died from his injuries four days after.

The accused was arrested on suspicion of murder and was formally charged after the question and answer session.

He made numerous court appearances but was found unfit to plead until recently.

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