Jamaica don loses murder appeal at Privy Council

(Jamaica Observer) Incarcerated Matthews Lane don, Donald ‘Zeeks’ Phipps lost his appeal against a double murder conviction in the Privy Council yesterday.

Phipps was sentenced to life for the April 2005 murders of Dayton ‘Scotchbrite’ Williams and Leroy Farquarson of Bayshore Park St Andrew. He was ordered to serve 30 years before being eligible for parole.

The charred remains of both men were found at an open lot on Oxford Street in Denham Town. Homicide investigators noticed a trail of blood leading from Matthews Lane, suggesting that was where the men met their demise.

Phipps and another man — Garfield Williams — were jointly charged but Williams was freed in 2006.

Phipps was sentenced in the High Court.

In his appeal Phipps argued that Justice Horace Marsh’s summation in relation to voice recognition and the jury’s verdict could not be supported by evidence.

The Privy Council dismissed the appeal on the grounds that Phipps had no basis to challenge the decision of the High Court and the Court of Appeal.