Policeman convicted of chopping man to death loses appeal

A policeman who was convicted of chopping a man to death in Portmore, St Catherine in 2007 has lost his appeal.

In handing down its decision yesterday, the Court of Appeal ordered that the sentence of Andrew Watkis must begin from June 2018. 

He was sentenced to 16 years and nine months in prison.

He was found guilty of the September 2017 murder of Maurice Francis following a three-week trial in the Home Circuit Court in March 2018. 

Another cop, Constable Omar Edwards, was charged jointly with Watkis and also tried but he was found not guilty. 

The prosecution had led evidence that on September 7, 2007, Watkis and the deceased, who resided in One North, Greater Portmore, had a dispute when Francis chopped Watkis with a machete multiple times. 

During the incident, Edwards intervened and ordered Francis to drop the machete after pointing his firearm at him.

He complied. 

  Subsequently, Watkis took up the machete and chopped Francis several times resulting in his death. 

Following an investigation, both Watkis and Edwards, who was accused of assisting in Francis’ murder, were charged in relation to his death.

Attorneys-at-law C.J Mitchell and Venice Brown represented Watkis. 

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