By Latrishka Thomas
A web of circumstantial evidence, cell phone records, and witness testimony have culminated in a 34-year prison sentence for Jnoure Craig, bringing a measure of justice for Amlack Lambert, the visually impaired man who was fatally shot in 2017.
In October, Craig, 37, was convicted by a High Court jury for killing the 38-year-old.
Lambert was shot in his upper body on February 12, 2017, at a bar in Nut Grove, and subsequently died from his injuries.
Prosecutors had constructed a compelling case against Craig, bolstered by critical evidence that placed him at the crime scene.
A witness testified to seeing someone matching Craig’s description engaged in a heated argument with Lambert shortly before the fatal shooting.
Additional testimony revealed that Craig was seen leaving the area armed with a gun.
Despite maintaining his innocence throughout the proceedings, Craig’s defence failed.
Cell site records from Flow tracked his mobile phone to the Nut Grove area at the time of the incident.
In a last-minute attempt to explain away this evidence, Craig claimed during an unsworn statement that he had lent his phone to someone – an explanation he had neglected to mention to police in 2017.
After deliberating for approximately two hours, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty.
During the sentencing hearing on Friday, Justice Ann-Marie Smith carefully considered the case’s circumstances. Initially contemplating a 30-year starting point, she ultimately increased the sentence to 34 years, noting Lambert’s vulnerability and defenceless state during the incident.
The court will subtract the 935 days Craig has already spent on remand from his total sentence.
