Man convicted three times for stabbing girlfriend’s lover to death
Andrell Vassell, 49, crane operator of 33 Ricketts Crescent, St Andrew, was convicted and sentenced to death on three occasions for the murder of Sidnal Wright, 31, whom the Crown alleged he suspected of having an affair with his “baby mother”.
Vassell was first tried and convicted in the Home Circuit Court before the late Justice Rowe, who sentenced him to death on March 22, 1971. His appeal to the Court of Appeal was allowed, the conviction quashed and the sentence set aside. A new trial was ordered.
On June 22, 1972 in the Home Circuit Court before Justice Lopez (now deceased) he was again convicted and sentenced to death. His appeal to the Court of Appeal was successful and again a new trial was ordered. Vassell was convicted for the third time on Thursday, May 16, 1974 and sentenced to…
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Next week: Gun slaying of contractor Phillip Johnson in April 1973
Sybil E Hibbert is a veteran journalist and retired court reporting specialist. She is also the wife of Retired ACP Isadore ‘Dick’ Hibbert, rated among the top Jamaican detectives of his time. Send comments to allend@jamaicaobserver.com.
