Woman Awaits Sentencing for Vicious Acid Attack on Bus

Kingston, Jamaica — Nicolene Gray, a 43-year-old pay clerk, will be sentenced on April 9 in the Home Circuit Court after pleading guilty to a brutal acid attack that left a woman blind in one eye and severely burned.

The attack, reportedly fueled by a love triangle, occurred nearly three years ago on a Coaster bus in St Andrew. Two additional victims—a male bus driver and a female passenger—also sustained burns from the corrosive substance.

Gray pleaded guilty to three counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Dressed in a black dress, she appeared somber in court yesterday as she entered her plea.

The incident took place on October 1, 2021, while Gray and the victims were traveling toward Half-Way Tree. As the primary victim prepared to exit the bus, Gray suddenly doused her with acid. The attack continued as the woman, in agony, spun around, her skin appearing to melt from the burns.

The victim, who was allegedly in a relationship with Gray’s partner, suffered third-degree burns across her face, neck, chest, shoulders, and back. The acid also splashed onto the bus driver and another passenger, leaving them with injuries.

A ketchup bottle containing the corrosive substance was later recovered at the scene. Gray was arrested and charged the same day.

Presiding judge Justice Leighton Pusey has ordered a social inquiry report and requested Gray’s criminal records before determining her sentence. He also instructed Gray and her attorneys, John Clarke and Sasheeka Richards, to consider compensation for the victims but made it clear that this would not prevent sentencing.

“Compensation is a factor and not a replacement for sentencing, it’s a consideration. It doesn’t mean that the court will not sentence you,” Justice Pusey cautioned.

Senior Deputy Director of Prosecutions Claudette Thompson and Crown Counsel Debra Bryan represented the prosecution.

Gray’s sentencing is expected to reflect the severity of the crime, with the court weighing both the physical and emotional toll on the victims.