KINGSTON, Jamaica — Gwendolyn White McKnight, the mother of Kemisha Wright and grandmother to her four children, who were brutally slain at their home in Cocoa Piece, Clarendon, has expressed disappointment in defence attorney, Tamika Harris, following a sentencing hearing on Thursday.

McKnight said she was disheartened with Harris requested that convicted murderer Rushane Barnett be given 15 years less prison time than the 60 years that had been recommended by the prosecution.

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn, who withdrew the death penalty as an option, recommended that the 23-year-old serve 60 years and 9 months on each count of murder before he becomes eligible for parole.

In response, Harris asked that the judge grant Barnett a 33 1/3 per cent discount on the sentence citing that he “saved the court’s time and resources” by pleading guilty in the early stages of investigation.

Barnett, who confessed to murdering his cousins, Kemesha Wright; Kimanda Smith, 15; Sharalee Smith, 12; Rafaella Smith, 5; and 23-month-old Kishawn Henry Jr, was convicted in July of five counts of murder. The bodies of the victims were discovered inside their Clarendon home with their throats slashed.

“I am not happy because the sentence was today and it end up put off again for the 20th of October and I am so disappointed in Ms Harris that have my nephew case because she is pleading for my nephew and she didn’t know that or see that the mother of the daughter and the grandchildren is hurting,” a grieving McKnight told OBSERVER ONLINE.

“She is pleading for the murderer. Yuh want the murderer to get 45 year? Tell mi now, if she did have a daughter and grandchildren that someone came and murdered, would she plea for them to give them 45 years? Would she plea for them to cut down for the murderer. I would like to ask her that because I guess she don’t have a child so she don’t know the pain and grief that a mother bear.”