MONTEGO BAY – Michael Freebourne, one of two men accused of killing well-known Montego Bay businessman James Crichton in March 2005, was on Friday found guilty in the St James Circuit Court and will be sentenced tomorrow.

After the trial, which lasted eight days, the jury of four men and eight women took just under two hours to return the guilty verdict against 23-year-old Freebourne AKA Paul Jones, but was undecided in the case against his alleged accomplice Ishmael McIntosh.

As a result, Justice Gloria Smith ordered a re-trial in the case against McIntosh, which is scheduled to start on January 26.

The prosecution’s evidence, led by Crown Council Chester Crooks, was that on March 18, 2005, James Crichton and a number of his employees were in their offices at 18 East Street settling the payroll, when about 4:15 pm the door was pushed open and two men, including Freebourne, walked in with guns. The prosecution told the court that the men ordered everyone to lie on the ground and started robbing them of jewellery, money and cellular telephones. The men then demanded that Crichton hand over his firearm, but he told them it was outside in his vehicle. The men then sent one of Crichton’s employees out to the vehicle with the keys to retrieve the gun.

The court also heard that when the men first arrived at Crichton’s office, they caught the attention of Conroy Hall, the handyman/ security guard there.

His evidence was that he saw ‘the back of two men’ entering the office. He said one man – whom he later identified as McIntosh – remained outside, leaning against a darkly tinted white Corolla station wagon.

Hall said he became suspicious of the men as he suspected a robbery was in progress. He said he reported their actions to someone, who then called Roy Crichton, James’ father.

Roy Crichton, the court was told, arrived at the scene, saw the Toyota Corolla and used his vehicle to block the entrance to the property.

In his sworn testimony, Roy Crichton said he scribbled down the licence plate of the vehicle, and by the time he neared the entrance of the office, one of the robbers emerged. A gun battle ensued between the Crichtons and the gunmen.

James and one of the men, later identified by police as Maurice Gabbidon, were both shot and killed. Gabbidon, the court heard, died on the scene while James Crichton later died at the Cornwall Regional Hospital while undergoing emergency surgery.

Freebourne was injured in the gun battle and tried to escape. He did not get far, however, as he was intercepted by two police officers on foot patrol who had heard the gun shots and responded.

Roy Crichton later pointed out Freebourne, who had a number of stolen items in his possession, along with an Astro 9mm semi-automatic pistol with the serial number 8057C. Freebourne was also later identified by one of James Crichton’s employees.

McIntosh was not held at the scene, but he was later taken into custody by Special Constable Metro McFarlane.