At just before 5:30pm on Sat (17) the jury, comprising four men and eight women, found Tareek Ricardo Ricketts guilty of murdering Jackson Rainford on the night of 16 December 2012.

The trial had begun on Monday August 5^th and the jury began deliberating on Friday (16) afternoon but failed to decide and told the Judge, Alex Henderson, they wanted to return the following day at 3pm. He concurred and 2 1/2 hours later they delivered their guilty verdict.

Ricketts, who had claimed throughout his trial it was a case of mistaken identity, was also found guilty of possessing an unlicensed firearm.

Rainford was shot in the head and chest when he was sitting in the passenger seat of his vehicle that was parked on Shedden Road and died of his wounds.

Rainford’s brother, who was sitting in the driver’s seat described the killer to the police and said although he didn’t know his name had been in a relationship with his brother’s wife.

The case was complicated further when Terina Tomlinson, who was also at the scene and witnessed the shooting, had been in a relationship with Ricketts, having two children together, but was now seeing Rainford.

When she gave evidence for the prosecution she got confused under cross examination and contradicted herself so many times Justice Henderson said it was his opinion her evidence was of no value and it would be unreasonable to place much value to it. He, however, left it to the jury to decide.

Dale Vernon was the third witness for the crown and he put Ricketts at the scene. He gave evidence via video link.

The Crown claimed Ricketts killed Rainford out of anger and jealousy as Rainford was not only the ex-husband of his current girlfriend but Rainford was also developing a relationship with Ricketts’ ex-lover and the mother of his children.

Justice Henderson, after the verdict was given, sentenced Ricketts to life imprisonment – the mandatory sentence.