AILING 89-year-old botanist Dr George Proctor was yesterday sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on four counts of conspiring to kill his wife of over 30 years and three other women.

Despite impassioned pleas from his attorney for a non-custodial sentence for the feeble Proctor, as well as glowing character evidence, Justice Gloria Smith said a balance must be struck, given the seriousness of the offence for which Proctor — a US citizen — was convicted last month.

Proctor’s 46-year-old co-conspirator, Glenmore Fellington, was sentenced to six years behind bars for his part in the plot.

Fellington’s attorney, Vincent Wellesley, had asked for leniency.

Proctor was sentenced to four years on each of the four counts, while Fellington was sentenced to six years on each of his four counts. The sentences are, however, to run concurrently, hence the reduced time.

During the hour-long sentence hearing in the Home Circuit Court, Proctor, for the first time, showed some signs of emotion.

The former University of the West Indies lecturer hung his head throughout the proceedings and even shed tears intermittently, as his colleagues from the university and former co-workers at the Institute of Jamaica looked on.

Fellington was his usual emotional self, crying heavily. As he was being led from the prisoner’s dock, Fellington threw himself to the floor and wept, “Oh, God!” causing a female relative to cry loudly in court.

The convict was, however, assisted up by the police, cuffed and led out of the packed court.

Immediately following sentencing, Proctor’s 69-year-old wife and adult daughter hurried out of court.

Proctor and Fellington, a father of seven with a previous criminal record, were convicted of four counts of conspiracy to murder on January 27. Both men were placed on trial, stemming from allegations that they had hired a man to commit the murders.

The plot was hatched over diverse dates between February 1, 2006 and April 20, 2006 and the hits were to be done for $100,000, and while Proctor was off the island.

However, the ‘hitman’ reported the matter to the police and testified against the men.

The court was told that Proctor wanted his wife dead because she was allegedly unfaithful to him, among other things.

The witness said Proctor later told him to kill the other three women who were at the family home at the time the killing of his wife was to occur.

Journalist John Maxwell, who was among the people who gave character evidence for Proctor yesterday, outlined the renowned botanist’s contribution to Jamaica and the “world” and attested to his “fun-loving” and life-loving attributes.

In the meantime, Proctor’s lawyer, Tom Tavares-Finson, who gave verbal notice of appeal, was not happy with the sentencing.

“I’m extremely disappointed with the conviction and very saddened by the sentence because of his age and medical condition,” said Tavares-Finson.