By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A MAN has withdrawn his appeal against his near 20-year sentence for the role he played in killing three people, including a pregnant woman due to give birth to her son, nine years ago.

Timothy Saunders withdrew his appeal yesterday against his 18-year sentence for pulling the trigger of a shotgun that killed Edward Braynen, Chackara Rahming and Erica Ward in June 2011. The Crown, which was also appealing his sentence, likewise withdrew its appeal.

Meanwhile, Shawn Knowles, who was also sentenced to 18 years for the crime, will have his appeal heard in March. The Crown has also “cross-appealed” his sentence.

During trial, the Crown alleged that the murders were retaliation for the July 12, 2011 murders of Kevin Forbes and Alwayne Leslie at a Haitian village off Montgomery Avenue.

At the time, Ward was pregnant with the child of Serrano Adderley, a Jamaican man who is currently serving a 60-year sentence for murdering Forbes and Leslie. Knowles is Forbes’ nephew.

The victims were asleep in a one-bedroom apartment when Knowles forced his way inside by blasting the locks with a shotgun. Once inside, he shot both women in the head and Braynen in the back using a shotgun. Saunders was outside as the shooting occurred.

Four young children inside the apartment were found unharmed by police.

On August 4, 2016, both Knowles and Saunders were sentenced to 18 years in prison by now deceased Chief Justice Stephen Isaacs, who was a senior justice at the time. However, Knowles’ sentence was reduced to 17 years after receiving credit for time spent on remand awaiting trial.

At the time, former Chief Justice Isaacs said the mitigating factors for Knowles were that he was provoked by the killings of his uncle and the attempt to kill him by the lover of one of the deceased.

Saunders, meanwhile, had his sentence reduced to 14 years for his four years spent on remand prior to trial.

Knowles has a conviction for manslaughter for which he was sentenced to 10 years in 2003 while Saunders has convictions for minor offences in 2001 and 2003.