WINSTON Jarrett, the golden ager convicted for murdering his 18-year-old sister-in-law in a fit of jealousy in January last year, only to report her missing a day after he knifed her to death, actually led a life of crime from as far back as 1978.

Court documents revealed that Jarrett had 15 previous convictions. From the police antecedent report read into the records of the court, the St Ann man has in the past been charged with carnal abuse, forgery, shop breaking and larceny, housebreaking and larceny, indecent assault, uttering forged documents, obtaining money by false pretence, conspiracy, and unlawful wounding.

The 62-year-old on Wednesday pleaded guilty to the murder of the teen, Julanna White, before Chief Justice Bryan Sykes and will know his fate in respect of his latest crime on July 15.

According to the facts of the case outlined to the court on January 25, 2020, White’s father, after calling her and getting no response, called her sister who told him that the young woman had left their St Ann home from the Friday night (January 24) without saying where she was heading.

Jarrett then took the phone from his wife and told the father that it was possible Julanna was with “one of her men”. The unsuspecting father then asked Jarrett to report her missing if he did not hear from her.

Unbeknownst to the relatives, earlier that Saturday morning, Julanna’s body had been seen by passersby on the Duncans Bay road in Trelawny with multiple stab wounds and the throat slashed. Hours later, Julanna’s sister, having heard that a female body was found in Trelawny, informed her father who asked her to make checks.

It was, however, Monday before those checks were made by the accused himself, who presented a photo of the teen on his phone. He also told the police that he had made a missing person’s report at the Runaway Bay Police Station. Following an interview with the teen’s sister that Tuesday, investigators once again reached for Jarrett, at which point he admitted to the crime.

Jarrett, in a caution statement, indicated that he had a sexual relationship with the teen behind his wife’s back. He also indicated he was taking care of her but that she was involved with other men, and so he was not pleased. He said she kept lying to him.

According to the convicted man, after seeing Julanna enter a taxi on the Friday, he trailed her in a cab and confronted her when she exited the vehicle.

He told investigators that he took her to a spot called Silver Sands and questioned her about their relationship and, while there, “felt a vibes come over him”, after which he used a mini kitchen knife to inflict wounds all over her body. He then threw the weapon away and left and reported her missing the following day.

The court was told that on February 20, 2020, when the investigating officer visited the accused at the Falmouth lock-up, Jarrett, when reminded of the allegations, said: “Me nah waste no time. From mi kill her mi can’t eat. Me nuh know what happen.”

He was later charged with the offence of murder and cautioned. Under caution, he said: “It shouldn’t happen. Me nuh know what happen.”

The post-mortem report indicated that Julanna received 20 incised and stab wounds to the head, neck and torso. As such, cause of death was multiple sharp force injuries.