Child killer Jeffery ‘Greg’ Perry was yesterday sentenced to hang for the January 2005 murders of his three young cousins, one for whom he admitted having “sexual desires”.

The 34-year-old security officer showed no emotion, just as he did throughout his trial, when Justice Marva McIntosh passed the death sentence.

Perry, the father of a five-year-old son and resident of Kilancholly, St Mary, was on December 5 last year convicted for the January 28, 2005 home-invasion murders of his three cousins – Shadice Williams, 4; Dwayne Davidson, 15; and Suann Gordon, 13 – in the community while their mother was at night church service.

Yesterday, McIntosh described the murders as “callous”, while noting that Perry had shown no remorse for his action.

Following the sentencing, Perry instructed his court-appointed attorney, Linton Walters, to file an appeal.

During mitigation, Walters told the court that there would be no benefit to putting Perry to death but that if kept alive the working of his mind and his motivation could be studied in order for the State to get a better understanding of how like-minded people operate in order to prevent such crimes, which, he said, are prevalent.

Michael Williams, the father of Shadice Williams and stepfather to the other children, lauded the sentence as “justified”, noting that “a man like [Perry] should not go back into society”.

Williams’ sentiment was in line with those of residents of Kilancholly, who told a probation officer during a social enquiry report that Perry should be put to death for the murders. The residents also promised that should Perry be released, they would take the law into their own hands.

During an interview with Perry that formed part of the social enquiry report, the convict told the probation officer that he had “sexual desires” for his victim, Suann Gordon, and that he would hug and squeeze her whenever they greeted.

He said that he did not hate the children but that he was not in control of himself and that his “spirit was overwhelmed” on the day he stripped down to his underpants and socks and entered the children’s home through a window while they slept and slashed them to death.

He told the probation officer that he felt “extremely regretful” for the killings.

Evidence was also rehashed of how Perry returned to the murder scene and, pretending that he knew nothing about the attacks, aided in putting the victims in the vehicle that took them to hospital.

The Crown was represented by Lisa Palmer, senior deputy director of public prosecutions.