Jamaica News, February 24, 2108 – Moncrieffe Killer
St Andrew, Jamaica (Mckoy’s News) – The craft-maker who hacked his 76-year-old boss to death said in court that he was sorry for attacking and killing the elderly woman, but that he was angry about his bosses not paying him for some of the jobs he did around the shop.
Omar Graham, 27, who is also called “Brown Man” was arrested in March 2017, shortly after attacking the owners of Moncrieffe’s Patio Shop, Vassell and Barbara Moncrieffe, killing Mrs Moncrieffe and seriously wounding Mr Moncrieffe and two of his co-workers.
At his sentencing to 30-years in prison on murder and wounding with intent charges, he expressed remorse but went on tell judge Martin Gayle why he took the route of evil on that unforgettable day.
Graham told the court that Vassell Moncrieffe was like an adopted father to him; saying that the Moncrieffe’s took him under their wing since he was 16-year-old after his own father left him.
According to Graham the bond between him and the couple changed when he turned 21. He explained that Mr Moncrieffe began making a habit of requiring him to do odd jobs, that he said, were outside of his duties at work. The perpetrator continued to state that one such job was to clean the toilets at work, which he was ridiculed by his co-workers for doing.
He said Vassell Moncrieffe promised to pay him for those kinds of jobs but he never got paid.
Graham, looked at the judge in court and with a remorseful sorrow in his demeanour he said: “I am sorry.” Meanwhile, Lois Nelson, his attorney addressed the court, saying that her client was very remorseful and the incident left Graham without a family.
She expressed to the court that Graham became a loner after his father moved out and left the stable home which he was part of until age 16. Nelson asked for leniency in his sentence, bidding the judge to consider the time that her client had already spent in jail (time under 1 year), in addition to his guilty plea, and that he had no previous convictions.
In handing down the sentence, Justice Gayle said she would consider his lawyer’s request, but explained to the court that the unfulfilled promise from his boss to pay him, did not excuse his actions, neither did that he was from a broken home.
“The public must be protected, and we can’t have people behaving this way,” Justice Gayle said before handing down the sentence.
Justice Gayle sentenced Graham to serve 20 years in prison on the charge of murder and 10 years each on three counts of wounding with intent. The wounding charges, however, will run concurrently, but consecutive to the 20-year sentence.
Graham pleaded guilty in October 2017, during a sentencing-reduction provision, which provides an opportunity for accused individuals to enter a guilty plea and benefit from a maximum of up to 50 percent reduction in their sentence, according to the provisions of the Criminal Justice Administration Amendment Act, 2015. set forth by the Jamaican Government.
Under the sentencing guidelines, Graham will be eligible for parole after 15 years in prison.
Reports are that Graham was arrested after he went to Moncrieffe’s Patio Shop, an establishment over 50 yrs old, at 47 1/2 Old Hope Road in St Andrew and attacked the couple and two teenage employees with a hammer and a knife, 19-year-old Jadene Wilson, acting assistant manager, and 18-year-old Jenelle Roach, acting secretary.
The court heard testimony that Mr Moncrieffe received a blow to his head, which made him unconscious, and when he revived found his dead wife on the floor covered in blood. One of the teen employees received stabs wound to her shoulders, abdomen and back, while the other was hit in the head with a hammer.
Barbara was pronounced dead at the University Hospital, while Vassell was admitted. The teens underwent surgery at the Kingston Public Hosptial.