The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A NEW lawyer has been appointed for a man contesting his attempted murder conviction to the Court of Appeal.

Olain Escarment appeared before Justices Anita Allen, Abdulai Conteh and Neville Adderley yesterday for a status hearing concerning his intention to challenge a conviction and 21-year sentence in the April 8, 2011, attempted murder of Marcus Coakley.

Geoffrey Farquharson initially represented Escarment but issues arose that led to the court assisting the appellant in engaging a new attorney.

Roger Gomez II confirmed that he received notice, albeit the day prior to the proceedings, that he was being appointed as counsel for Escarment.

Justice Allen asked the lawyer if he had received all of the necessary documents concerning the case. Gomez said the court’s staff was arranging that.

The court advised Gomez to speak with his client and take instructions for the substantive hearing scheduled for June 16.

In January 2013, Escarment was unanimously convicted of the shooting incident two years earlier.

The jury accepted Coakley’s testimony that the two were arguing over a woman when Escarment pulled out a gun and shot him.

However, Escarment claimed that the shooting was in self-defence and occurred when they struggled for the gun, which, he said, belonged to Coakley.

Escarment was convicted and, in February 2013, was sentenced by then Senior Justice Jon Isaacs to 23 years’ imprisonment.

However, the judge took into account the time Escarment had spent on remand awaiting trial. The sentence was reduced to 21 years and two months.

To date, the appellant has served four years at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.