Two senior attorneys say the Director of Public Prosecutions had no option but to remove the death penalty as a sentencing option for Rushane Barnett who pleaded guilty to killing his cousins in Coco Piece Clarendon.
During Barnett's first court appearance, the DPP's office had served notice that it would seek the death penalty.
However, during a sentencing hearing yesterday, the DPP said her office would no longer be pursuing that option.
Attorney Bert Samuels says the death penalty is reserved for extreme cases, considered the worst of the worst.
He says this case took an interesting twist when Barnett pleaded guilty, as the matter would have been brought up before the Privy Council and once they saw the guilty plea the worst of the worst consideration would have been removed.
He was speaking Friday on the Morning Agenda, on Power 106.
Barnett pleaded guilty on July 28, to the murder of 31-year-old Kemisha Wright and her children: 15-year-old Kimanda Smith, 12-year-old Sharalee Smith, 5-year-old Rafaella Smith, and 23-month-old Kishawn Henry.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 20.
