News Briefs

Man gets life for killing wife

Thirty-five-year-old Peter Walters was on Friday sentenced to life imprisonment for his wife's murder and must serve 18 years and five months behind bars before he becomes eligible to apply for parole.

On June 19, 2023, he pleaded guilty to murdering 34-year-old Nickeisha DaCosta-Walters of Berkshire Hall, St Catherine.

In handing down sentence in the St Catherine Circuit Court on Friday, Justice Bertram Morrison told the accused that the aggravating circumstances outweighed the mitigating circumstances in the case.

"I think that your action shocked the public's conscience, as it was done in the presence of your child, but it cannot be discounted that you've pleaded guilty," Morrison said.

The judge read from the report that Walters was jealous and reacted violently, having been spurned by his wife.

The court was told that on August 26, 2022, Walters was at home in Berkshire Hall when a disagreement developed with his wife, who he accused of infidelity.

A knife was brought into play, which he used to stab his wife repeatedly. She died from the injuries received.

He reportedly ran from the community, drove to the Linstead Police Station and was taken into custody.

He has already spent two years and five months in custody.

Inmate killed in stabbing incident at St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre

An investigation is under way into the fatal stabbing of an inmate by another at the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre in Spanish Town last Friday.

The deceased has been identified as 32-year-old Jermaine Rogers.

Reports are that about 3 p.m., there was a commotion at a section of the penal institution, during which Rogers was attacked and stabbed in his chest with a sharp object.

Rogers was taken to the Spanish Town Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The Spanish Town police and the Independent Commission of Investigations are probing the matter.

Haitian journalists demand justice as they bury second colleague

PORT-AU-PRINCE (AP):

Relatives and former colleagues demanded justice on Saturday as they buried Marckendy Natoux, one of two journalists killed by gangs in Haiti.

Natoux was fatally shot on Christmas Eve in one of the worst attacks on the press in the troubled Caribbean country, with gangs opening fire during what was supposed to be the reopening of Haiti's largest public hospital.

Colleagues blamed the government for the attack, which led to the health minister being replaced. They argue that the government was negligent to invite journalists to cover an event in an area that was unsafe.

The 42-year-old father of two children spoke four languages and worked for several local and US. media outlets. He also taught English and Spanish and was known for his kindness.

"Natoux was a protector of journalists," recalled Oriol Jacklin, a journalist with Radio Regard FM. "He worked with everyone and respected everybody."

Johnson 'Izo' André, considered Haiti's most powerful gang leader and part of the Viv Ansanm coalition of gangs, which have taken control of 85 per cent of Port-au-Prince, posted a video on social media claiming responsibility. He said he had not authorised the hospital's reopening.

Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas go into effect Sunday morning

CAIRO, Egypt (AP):

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will go into effect Sunday at 8:30 a.m. local time, mediator Qatar announced Saturday, as families of hostages held in Gaza braced for news of loved ones, Palestinians prepared to receive freed detainees and humanitarian groups rushed to set up a surge of aid.

But in a national address 12 hours before the ceasefire was to start, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country was treating the ceasefire as temporary and retained the right to continue fighting if necessary. He claimed he had the support of US President-elect Donald Trump, who told NBC News that he told the prime minister to "keep doing what you have to do".

Netanyahu also asserted that he negotiated the best deal possible, even as Israel's far-right Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he and most of his party would resign from the government in opposition to it.

The overnight approval of the ceasefire deal by Israel's Cabinet, in a rare meeting during the Jewish Sabbath, set off a flurry of activity and a fresh wave of emotions as relatives wondered whether hostages would be returned alive or dead. Families and thousands of others rallied once more Saturday night in Tel Aviv.

The pause in 15 months of war is a step toward ending the deadliest, most destructive fighting ever between Israel and the Hamas militant group – and comes more than a year after the only other ceasefire achieved. The deal was achieved under joint pressure from Trump and the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden ahead of Monday's inauguration.

The first phase of the ceasefire will last 42 days, and negotiations on the far more difficult second phase are meant to begin just over two weeks in.