Life sentence for man found guilty of fatal stabbing at bar in Portmore

St Catherine resident Mark Brown, who fatally stabbed a man at a bar in Portmore almost nine years ago, was today sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to serve eight years before becoming eligible for parole.

Brown, 46, was sentenced by Justice Bertram Morrison in the St Catherine Circuit Court.

He was found guilty on June 8, 2023, of killing Clive Spencer, a 34-year-old labourer from Portmore, St Catherine.

Attorney-at-law Donald Bryan, in addressing the court today, argued that there were elements of provocation in his client’s actions and that the stabbing was not premeditated.

"It was a single stab wound that caused the deceased’s demise," Bryan said.

In handing down sentencing, Justice Morrison ordered that Brown must serve eight years, three months, and five days before he will be eligible to apply for parole.

Brown's sentence stems from an incident on March 29, 2016, in Braeton, Portmore, St Catherine.

The court heard from a witness that Brown and Spencer had an argument at the bar, during which Brown stabbed Spencer in the side and walked away.

Spencer was assisted to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An investigation was launched by the Portmore police, leading to Brown’s arrest and subsequent charge for murder.

He made numerous court appearances before being tried and found guilty in 2023.

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