Relative wanted death penalty for Collymore, co-convicts
Wife killer to spend 46 years in prison before parole
WIFE killer Omar Collymore and two of his three co-convicts were handed life sentences on Friday by Judge Leighton Pusey for the January 2, 2018 double murder of Simone Campbell-Collymore and Winston Walters, which was somewhat pleasing news for Datris Rhooms — the mother of Walters — although she said the death penalty would have been best suited for them, under the circumstances.
Both were murdered outside the Forest Ridge apartment complex in Red Hills, St Andrew, by two men who hopped from the backs of motorcycles before pumping bullets into the bodies of Campbell-Collymore and Walters.
Collymore’s co-convicts, who were sentenced in the Home Curcuit Court in Kingston along with him on Friday for the double murder and one count of conspiring to kill his wife, were Michael Adams and Dwayne Pink.
A third man, Shaquilla Edwards, received only a one-year sentence for conspiring with the others. He escaped being convicted for murder as he was not present at the scene of the crime.
Simone Campbell -Collymore.
Omar Collymore was convicted last week of his wife’s murder.
According to a very emotional Kerry-Ann Walters, the sister of Walters who was operating a taxi at the time of his murder, her mother, Datris Rhooms, wanted to see a similar fate meted out to her son’s killers as she wanted the State to end their lives.
“I haven’t spoken to his wife as yet to ask her how she feels but my mother said she thinks that a death sentence would be better, knowing that he ordered the hit and said to kill them both. It is sad to say, and I hope God forgives her, but that was what she wanted,” the sister said following the sentencing.
Kerry-Ann said her personal feeling is one of joy, despite the fact that her brother’s life cannot be restored.
“I approve of the justice system. With Edwards, I don’t think he should have gotten one year, though. If he had said something, something could have been done to stop all of this. This was a gruesome act against someone you call wife. Everybody who played a vital role in the conviction, I thank them. As a sister, I am always here to give support to the entire family and, to be honest, today is a day when I really needed somebody else to be here with me, but I am pleased with the justice system,” she said, explaining that other members of her family were unable to accompany her to court in person.
“I hope anybody out there planning a similar act takes this as a lesson to know that Jamaica ain’t playing and, no matter what, they are going to bring them to justice. The family cannot move on, because there is a void that cannot be filled, but at least there is some closure. There is not going to be another Corey,” Kerry-Ann said, referring to her brother Winston Walters by his alias.
Collymore, a Barbadian-born United States citizen, won’t be eligible for parole until after 46 years.
Adams will have to spend 40 years and six months in prison for the murder of Campbell-Collymore before he is eligible for parole, 42 years and six months for Walters’ killing, as well as two years and six months for conspiring to kill the businesswoman.
In relation to Pink, he won’t be eligible for parole until after 30 years and six months for Campbell-Collymore’s murder, and 32 years and six months for the murder of Walters.
The sentences for all the men will run concurrently.
Karen Campbell, the mother of Campbell-Collymore, praised Judge Pusey, prosecutor Andrea Martin-Swaby, and the police detectives who put in hard work to secure the convictions.
She said she wanted each of the men to get 60 years for brutally killing her daughter and Walters but was pleased, nonetheless, with Pusey’s decision.
Winston Walters, who was driving the taxi in which he and Simone CampbellCollymore were shot dead, was also a bar owner. His sister said he acquired the motor car in which he was killed two months before the attack.