St Ann councillor wants hanging to resume
Councillor for the Beecher Town Division in the St Ann South Eastern constituency, Ian Bell, is calling for the resumption of hanging in the country.
Bell made the call following the murder of his colleague, Justice of the Peace Colin Corrodus, last Monday.
Corrodus, proprietor of Colvile Hardware and Construction, was shot dead at his home in Epworth in the parish.
“I call on the authorities and the powers that be to think seriously about the resumption of hanging in Jamaica if we are going to put a dent in the activities of these heartless criminals,” Bell urged.
He questioned why Minister of National Security Robert Montague has weakened his position on the resumption of hanging, having spoken about it avidly when he took over the portfolio early last year.
“I want the minister to start to speak again on hanging. When you look at an 82-year-old man brutally murdered, I want to say ‘an eye for an eye’,” the councillor charged.
He recalled meeting with Corrodus some 11 years ago and noted that the businessman had great interest in community development. He said he was often engaged in constant dialogue regarding road repairs and streetlights.
Bell added that only a few weeks ago Corrodus engaged him in a meeting demanding to know what plans he had to fix the roads in the community.
“He said I must tell him what the real plans for fixing the roads are,” he recalled, adding that Corrodus promised to personally engage state minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Everard Warmington to get the roads fixed. Warmington is the minister with responsibility for works.
“I will do all to ensure his wishes go through. Mr Corrodus will be sadly missed by the community of Epworth,” Bell continued.
Residents in Epworth are also of the view that people who carry out such gruesome killings deserve to die instead of serving time in prison.