Sykes to rule on plea as Silvera blames provocation for wife’s death
Published:Wednesday | February 4, 2026 | 12:18 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
The prosecution has reportedly accepted a guilty plea from former People’s National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament for St Mary Western, Jolyan Silvera, on charges of manslaughter on the grounds of provocation in connection with the death of his wife, Melissa Silvera.
Submissions from both parties were heard on Tuesday morning in the Gun Court, where the matter is being conducted in an in-camera session.
Chief Justice Bryan Sykes is expected to deliver a ruling later today on whether the court will proceed based on the guilty plea.
The proceedings are closed to the public in accordance with the Gun Court Act, which prohibits media access to certain courtroom sessions.
Silvera, originally charged with murder, entered a guilty plea to the lesser offence of manslaughter when he appeared in court on Monday at the start of his trial.
The 52-year-old businessman is accused in connection with the death of his wife, who was found dead at their Stony Hill, St Andrew, home on November 10, 2023.
GUNSHOT WOUNDS
Initially thought to have died from natural causes, an autopsy conducted three weeks later revealed gunshot wounds, with three bullet fragments recovered from her body.
Silvera was arrested and charged on January 18, 2024, and has been in custody since.
He is represented by King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie and attorney-at-law Patrice Riley.
Attorney-at-law Odane Marston, who is not involved in the case, on Monday explained the legal distinction between murder and manslaughter.
“Murder is the intentional act of causing the death of another human being while manslaughter is an unintentional act that results in death,” Marston said. “For murder, there must be an intention to kill or cause grievous bodily harm. In the case of manslaughter, there is no such intention.”
Marston added that the law allows for a murder charge to be reduced to manslaughter under certain circumstances such as provocation or mental abnormalities. He also noted that sentencing differs significantly between the two offences. Murder carries a mandatory life sentence whereas manslaughter has no mandatory penalty, leaving sentencing to the discretion of the judge.