St Catherine man gets suspended sentence for extortion over back-to-school event

A St Catherine man who pleaded guilty to extortion in the Parish Court on Friday was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for three years.

The accused, Joseph Hylton, a labourer of Spanish Town, was charged after making repeated demands for a back-to-school function to be held in the Johnson Pen community, warning in a letter that if the event was not staged, “God’s wrath will manifest.”

The court was told that in May 2025, Hylton went to a hardware store in Spanish Town and delivered a letter making the demand.

When he received no response, he returned days later with another letter reiterating the same message.

A report was made to the Spanish Town Police, who launched an investigation that led to Hylton’s arrest and subsequent charge of extortion.

In court, Hylton’s attorney, Nicholas Edmonds, pleaded for leniency, arguing that his client is a missionary who meant no harm.

“Your Honour, my instruction is that my client is a missionary and was just persuading the complainant to respond to a previous letter sent to support a back-to-school function. He also has a mental health condition and made no threats,” Edmonds told the court, noting that Hylton had recently undergone an assessment.

After reviewing the content of the letters and considering the submissions, the judge imposed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for three years. It means if he violates certain conditions, he could be forced to serve a prison term.

The judge warned him to keep the peace.

- Rasbert Turner

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