Forgiving mom wanted shorter sentence for son’s killer

Despite the brutal killing of her son, Cerita Rhone says she forgave his killer years ago and had hoped the court would impose a lighter sentence even after he was handed 30 years’ imprisonment.

“I forgave him long ago,” said Rhone, the mother of slain businessman Jean-Pierre Rhone, speaking after sentencing in the Home Circuit Court on Tuesday.

Jean-Pierre Rhone, the 27-year-old manager of New Era Fencing Limited and Property Services, went missing in October 2018, two days after celebrating his birthday. His partially decomposed, naked body was later found wrapped in a sheet and buried under sand in bushes in Port Royal, Kingston. He had been strangled.

While Rhone accepted the punishment imposed on Shamar Clarke, she said she wished the sentence had been shorter.

“I have truly forgiven him,” she said. “He is a young person, and he truly deserves forgiveness. ... [It] is a justifiable sentence, but I am a merciful person, and I would still appreciate if it was less.”

Rhone, mother of three who comforted her husband and daughter as they wept in court, said that although the crime was heinous and Clarke deserved punishment, she had hoped for leniency because of his age and the fact that his wife was pregnant.

She also welcomed the court’s rejection of Clarke’s claim of self-defence and his allegation that her son had made sexual advances towards him.

“The sentence gives us a chance to clear our son’s name as his murder had nothing to do with self-defence,” said Rhone, who expressed disappointment at the negative picture that was painted by Clarke, who had remained in touch with her son even after leaving the company.

Clarke, a 26-year-old former teacher and ex-employee of the victim, was convicted of murder for strangling Rhone and disposing of his body.

“Truly horrendous”

Justice Carolyn Tie-Powell described the killing as “truly horrendous” but ruled that a determinate sentence, rather than life imprisonment, was appropriate.

While the law allows for life sentences in murder cases, the judge said that penalty is reserved for the worst offences. She pointed to aggravating factors such as the betrayal of trust, the callous treatment of the body, the emotional trauma caused to the family, and Clarke’s attempts to mislead relatives and conceal the crime.

Mitigating factors included Clarke’s age, positive character evidence, church involvement, education, and a probation report assessing him as a low risk of reoffending. The judge said he was not irredeemable and capable of rehabilitation.

“Having looked at what was done and who did it, I am of the view that a sentence of life imprisonment would not be appropriate,” the judge said, citing guidance from previous Court of Appeal decisions.

After adjusting for aggravating and mitigating factors, the court imposed a 30-year sentence, with six months credited for time already served. Clarke will be eligible for parole after 24 years and six months. Concurrent sentences were also imposed for simple larceny and preventing the lawful burial of a corpse.

Describing her son as the “centre of the family”, Rhone said he was a kind, caring, and brilliant businessman who helped reunite and expand the family enterprise.

“He was my everything – my driver, my friend, my decision-maker,” she said. “Any decision at the company was left to him. He reunited the family.”

Family attorney Petrena Gabbidon said the relatives accepted the sentence, stressing that violent crime must be firmly punished.

“There is no place in society for this kind of senseless crime,” Gabbidon said. “Once you do the crime, you must pay the price.”

Rhone was reported missing on October 17, 2018. His body was discovered three days later. His motor vehicle, bank cards, and mobile phones were missing.

Evidence showed that Clarke attempted to sell the van shortly after the murder, used Rhone’s bank card as well as cards belonging to the victim’s parents, and was found in possession of Rhone’s mobile phones, which had been wiped of data. Evidence also revealed that he had made arrangements with individuals to sell them a car before the incident.

The court also heard that Clarke sent text messages to Rhone’s relatives while posing as the businessman, claiming that he had left and would not return. When contacted by the family, Clarke denied meeting Rhone.

Clarke was represented by attorneys Lynden Wellesley and Althea Freeman.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com