Ricketts guilty of murder
(CNS) Full report: Following a further two and a half hours of deliberation on Saturday afternoon, the jury trying the case against Tareeq Ricketts (22) for the murder of Jackson Rainford last December returned a guilty verdict. The George Town man was convicted of the killing and possession of an unlicensed firearm after the jury eventually found that the crown had proved Ricketts shot 23-year-old Rainford out of jealousy and anger. Rainford was killed as he sat in the passenger seat of a car just off Sheddon Road in Printers Way, George Town. Following the verdict, Ricketts was sentenced to themandatory punishment of life in prison, after which he returned to the courts' holding cells with a composed and expressionless demeanor.
Emotions flared outside of the courtroom, however, where relieved family and friends of the deceased gathered to celebrate the fact that "justice was served". The mother of Rainford's young son told the media, "Tareek Ricketts now has time to sit down and think about what he did."
The prosecution counsel was successful in convincing the jury of Ricketts' guilt, despite his alibi of being with his girlfriend around the time of the shooting. The key witness for the crown, Tarina Tomlinson, also proved to be unreliable while givingher evidence, but Director of Public Pprosecutions Cheryll Richards was able to convince the jury beyond reasonable doubt that the man standing before the court had murdered Rainford.
The former computer technician had become angered from the morning of 16 December, as seen through an exchange of messages between him and his ex-girlfriend, when he suggested that she wanted to "run up and down" with Jackson Rainford. During cross-examination, Ricketts denied having a problem with Tomlinson being friends with Rainford. However, he had erupted and shot him when he saw Tomlinson return to her house later that night with the deceased and his brother, Che.
The crown relied heavily on Che Rainford's evidence because he was the driver of the vehicle in which his brother was murdered. Che Rainford was able to escape the vehicle and avoided a shot that was fired at him while he was running to seek help. Che's close proximity to the gunman enabled him to identify his brother's killer and support the prosecution's case against Ricketts.
The presiding judge, Alex Henderson, declined a postponement of sentencing due to the defense's inability to prepare submissions regarding the Bill of Rights beforehand. Ricketts was immediately sentenced to the mandatory life imprisonment for murder and a ten year sentence for the possession of an unlicensed firearm to run concurrently.
It was indicated by defense attorney, Prathna Bodden, that her client may be appealing but told CNS that she was unable to comment on the case.
Category: Crime
May his family take comfort in the ruling and his soul now rest in peace that his murderer is off the street. This was a crime of passion that has now left not only Mr. Rainford's children fatherless but also Mr. Ricketts.
Sad… And to know this was all over a woman! When are we going to teach our sons self-restraint, self-esteem, and moving on with their lives.
You do the crime, you do the time.
Please young people think before you act. Some things can’t be overturned as we can see. He has to live with the decision he made for the remainder of his life…… behind bars.
Sad but it is a harsh reality of committing an offense such as murder.
yes sir
No one wins here. It is a sad day when our youths are killing each other at whims, without thought of action or consequences. One more dead and another in prison..
Parents, please let us get back to grassroots parenting where our children are held to a higher moral standard, where parents are exhibiting proper examples for their children to emulate and pattern.
Giving our kids more material things is not the answer. They need to be though virtues and values, self-respect and compassion for others. Tough love is not the absent or really love. In the end they will love you more for holding them accountable and keeping them inline, the opposite is true if we let our future in our kids slip away.
Let’s start a Grassroots Parenting Initiative drive. Parental education is a start.