TRELAWNY, Jamaica – A St James couple jointly charged in connection with the murder of 36-year-old Tamara Geddes of Reserve, Trelawny, pleaded guilty when they appeared in the Trelawny Circuit Court today.

The two, Owen Irving, 55, and his wife, Tashana Young, 33; both of a Hampton, St James address, are booked to return to court for sentencing on Friday, March 19.

Social enquiry and antecedent reports for the accused were ordered by presiding judge Justice Martin Gayle.

Tamara Geddes was gunned down in her bedroom in the Reserve community in Trelawny in the presence of her 10-year-old daughter on Friday, June 19, 2020.

Irving, who is represented by Shelly-Ann Hyman, pleaded guilty to murder and conspiracy to murder; while Young, who is represented by Charles Sinclair, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to the murder of Tamara Geddes.

Their guilty pleas come a day after 40-year-old farmer Nadeen Geddes who pleaded guilty to the murder of her sister, Tamara, was sentenced to 20 years in prison at hard labour in the Trelawny Circuit Court.

She will become eligible for parole after serving 15 years.

Nadeen’s two daughters — 21-year-old Shanice Ruddock and a 15-year-old — who both pleaded guilty to misprison of a felony in the case, were each given three years’ probation. Their convictions have not been recorded.

Additionally, Nadeen, who also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder 33-year-old Tennisia Miller of Carey Park, also in Trelawny, was given a five-year sentence for that count.

But the sentences are to run concurrently.

Miller was charged for the fatal stabbing of Nadeen’s brother, 38-year-old Gregory Geddes, a raft captain of Reserve district. He was killed during a dispute with Miller at a bar in Martha Brae in December 2019.

The St James couple, Irving and Young also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder Miller.

Meanwhile, Brian Shelly, who is also a defendant in Geddes’ murder, was remanded in custody until June 7, 2021.

An attorney-at-law is to be assigned to Shelly, who is currently without any legal representative.

At the start of the Hillary session of the Trelawny Circuit Court on Monday, February 8, Rexon Knott, 24, another defendant, who was jointly charged with murder and conspiracy to murder in the matter, pleaded not guilty and was set free as the court had insufficient evidence to proceed against him.

Horace Hines