BBC Caribbean News in Brief

Amputation recommendation
for thieves

St Lucians continue to expressed their anger at the shooting death of an eight year-old this week.

The child died when masked gunmen burst into a home in the capital, apparently in search of a witness to what has been described as a gangland-style shooting last month.

The Mayor of of Castries Irving John has called for public hangings for people who commit hideous crimes.

He also advocated the amputations of wrists of people who are convicted for stealing for three or more times.

Guilty plea for
currency smuggling

Federal prosecutors in the United States say a woman has pleaded guilty to bulk cash smuggling after giving three people more than US$500,000 to take to Jamaica.

Jean Brown, 41, entered the smuggling guilty plea in the American city of Baltimore on Wednesday.

She also agreed to a forfeiture judgment of the money smuggled.

The Associated Press reported that according to Brown’s plea agreement, in December 2008 she gave three people more than the cash to hide in their baggage before boarding a flight to Montego Bay.

She provided the plane tickets and told the people not to declare the cash which was to be delivered to her relatives.

Jamaican customs officers found the money.

Brown will be sentenced on February 1.