Court takes time to study Jones's appeal

ATTORNEY-AT-LAW Sonia Jones will know her fate on June 25 in the appeal she has brought against her conviction and 18-month prison sentence for defrauding two clients of US$83,749.

The Court of Appeal after hearing arguments from Tuesday to yesterday reserved judgment saying that the case was one which needed a detailed study of the evidence and so it was taking the time to do so.

Jones, who was represented by attorneys-at-law Frank Phipps, Q.C., and Garth McBean, filed several grounds of appeal asking the court to find that her convictions for fraud were unreasonable and could not be supported by the evidence.

Paula Lewellyn, acting Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, and Laurel Gregg, Crown Counsel, asked the court to find that the evidence against Jones was overwhelming and that the Resident Magistrate came to the correct conclusion.

Jones was convicted in December 1999 of defrauding two of her clients of US$83,749.

The Crown, represented at the trial by Miss Lewellyn and Miss Gregg, had led evidence that in 1995 artist Colin Garland and Lloyd Reckord, playwright-/actor, gave Jones two cheques totalling US$83,749 to invest for them with roll over from year to year and she converted the money to her own use and benefit or to the use and benefit of others.

Cecile Cannole, a French national who owns the Seascape Hotel, in Negril, Westmoreland, was called as Crown witness. She said she had asked Jones, her lawyer, to sell the hotel. She said she had bought the hotel for cash and did not authorise Jones to mortgagee it.

Mr. Phipps argued before the Court of Appeal that the money was invested in Seascape Hotel and there was no request by the clients to account for the money. He said Jones informed the clients where the money was invested and she had invited the clients to come to her office to look at the title deed.

The Court of Appeal, comprising the Hon. Ian Forte, President, Mr. Justice Ransford Langrin and Mr. Justice Seymour Panton, extended Jones's bail for her to return to court on June 25.

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