Frank Robinson, the murder accused who had to argue his own case
TWO men — Frank “Bobo” Robinson and Anthony “Chuckie” Gibson, also called “Mafia”, charged with murdering Mussington Reid — were convicted and sentenced to death in the Gun Court division of the No 1 Home Circuit Court in 1981.
But the case was also remembered for the lack of legal representation due to non-payment of attorneys’ fees, which attracted strong criticism from Justice Parnell at the trial. The jury, after retiring for only 22 minutes, returned with a unanimous decision to convict both men.
Gibson was defended by attorney Keith Jarrett, while Robinson, who was originally represented by attorneys Churchill Neita and George Soutar (both later appointed QC) ended up unrepresented and had to…
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Next week: Solomon Beckford, the cop who escaped the gallows
Sybil E Hibbert is a veteran journalist and retired court reporting specialist. She is also the wife of Isadore ‘Dick’ Hibbert, rated among the top Jamaican detectives of his time. Send comments to allend@jamaicaobserver.com.
