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FORMER Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldier, Corporal Leslie Moodie was today sentenced to hang for the murders of four partygoers at a nightclub in Kingston two years ago.
In handing down the sentence, Justice Horace Marsh said the only punishment that could be imposed is death.
He said the mitigating factors did not outweigh the extreme and exceptional circumstances of the case.
Moodie sat quietly while the sentence was being read, while one member of the victims' family was overheard saying, "Thank you, Jesus."
The ex-soldier was found guilty of the 2008 Heroes Day murders of 19-year-old Dijan Powell, William Wilberforce, 28, Davian Kerr, 19, and Lynchmore Forbes inside the Double Diamond night club at the Boulevard Shopping Centre on Washington Boulevard in Kingston.
Eyewitnesses testified that Moodie was inside the club acting in an obnoxious manner and harassing women during a party. He went berserk after he was challenged about his behaviour and pulled his licensed 9mm pistol and began firing.
When the shooting ended the four men lay dead and eyewitnesses said Moodie began waving his weapon menacingly and asked patrons to identify themselves at gunpoint.
His attorneys argued that Moodie fired in self-defence.
Moodie sat emotionless as the prosecutor rehashed some of the gruesome details of the fateful night, as a relative of one of the victims cringed.
Prosecutor Lisa Palmer had asked the court to sentence Moodie to death, among other things, because the murders were calculated and the convicted man had shown no remorse.
Palmer argued that Moodie was unprovoked and pointed to things he said while he shot his victims to show that the murders were premeditated.
In handing down the sentence, Justice Horace Marsh said the only punishment that could be imposed is death.
He said the mitigating factors did not outweigh the extreme and exceptional circumstances of the case.
Moodie sat quietly while the sentence was being read, while one member of the victims' family was overheard saying, "Thank you, Jesus."
The ex-soldier was found guilty of the 2008 Heroes Day murders of 19-year-old Dijan Powell, William Wilberforce, 28, Davian Kerr, 19, and Lynchmore Forbes inside the Double Diamond night club at the Boulevard Shopping Centre on Washington Boulevard in Kingston.
Eyewitnesses testified that Moodie was inside the club acting in an obnoxious manner and harassing women during a party. He went berserk after he was challenged about his behaviour and pulled his licensed 9mm pistol and began firing.
When the shooting ended the four men lay dead and eyewitnesses said Moodie began waving his weapon menacingly and asked patrons to identify themselves at gunpoint.
His attorneys argued that Moodie fired in self-defence.
Moodie sat emotionless as the prosecutor rehashed some of the gruesome details of the fateful night, as a relative of one of the victims cringed.
Prosecutor Lisa Palmer had asked the court to sentence Moodie to death, among other things, because the murders were calculated and the convicted man had shown no remorse.
Palmer argued that Moodie was unprovoked and pointed to things he said while he shot his victims to show that the murders were premeditated.
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