MONTEGO BAY, St James — The aunt of murdered 15-year-old schoolgirl Shineka Gray has given a chilling account of how her niece’s death has upended their lives and has asked the court to show her convicted killer “no mercy”.

The ripple effect of Shineka’s murder, Nickeda Gray said in her victim’s impact report, has caused Shineka’s cousin to adjust the way she dresses, an effort to avoid attracting attention from ill-willed members of the opposite sex.

“Because of your crime, my other niece is now afraid to traverse the streets of Montego Bay. She is even afraid to attire herself like a girl because she does not want to be a target from someone like him,” stated Gray.

The report was read by the clerk of court in the St James Circuit Court on Thursday during a sentencing hearing for Gregory Roberts, the man convicted of killing Shineka in 2017.

Gray said the family is finding it hard to cope following the gruesome slaying of her brother’s first child who was loved by the family. She said the teen’s murder has caused deep depression for family members and she herself suffers from hypertension.

She believes Roberts should be severely punished for his crime

“I never wished death on anyone until I met Gregory. He makes me sick to my stomach. You have shown no remorse for slaughtering my niece like an animal,” Gray said in the victim’s impact report given and signed at the Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) office in Mount Salem, last month.

“Gregory Roberts needs more than just a slap on the wrist. He should not be able to commit crimes like this and get away with it… Today, Your Honour, I ask for no mercy when you make your decision in sentencing him. He deserves life in prison with no consideration for parole. It is time that he is held accountable for his actions,” added Gray

During the sentencing hearing, two supporting witnesses from St Thomas — one of whom is a district constable — were called by Roberts’s lawyer, Chumu Paris. They testified that they had known Roberts for 30 years. They described him as being a good person while growing up in Cedar Valley, St Thomas, and were surprised to hear about the crime of which he was accused.

A social enquiry report done in St James and St Thomas has indicated that Roberts has maintained his innocence and showed no remorse for the crime for which he was convicted.

Shineka, who was a Grade 10 student at the time of her death, was found dead three days after she had been reported missing. She was last seen alive in Montego Bay while on her way home from the funeral of a schoolmate.

Roberts and his co-accused, Mario Morrison, were later taken into custody in connection with her murder.

Morrison pleaded guilty in September 2022 after entering a plea deal with the State and was sentenced to life in prison a month later.

The sentencing hearing to decide Roberts’s fate will continue on Friday.