A St Andrew man who was in 2020 sentenced to life behind bars at hard labour for a 2008 murder in the Grant’s Pen Gully in the parish has lost his bid to have the Appeal Court overturn his conviction.

Following a jury trial in 2020 Sedikie Franklin was found guilty of making use of a firearm to commit a felony, murder, wounding with intent, and illegal possession of a firearm.

Franklin was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment at hard labour for the offence of making use of a firearm to commit a felony, life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving 30 years for murder, 15 years’ imprisonment at hard labour for wounding with intent, and 10 years’ imprisonment at hard labour for illegal possession of firearm. The sentences are to run concurrently making it so that he would spend the longest of the four terms before being eligible for parole.