(CNS): Jashawn Owen Anthony Johnson (21) was found guilty on Thursday of the murder of Michael Aaron Bush (22) in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve 2020 at a nightclub complex in the Strand Plaza. Johnson had denied murdering Bush, claiming he had stabbed him in self-defence during an altercation outside the entertainment complex. He was tried by Justice Roger Chapple in June without a jury.
In a long ruling outlining his findings, the judge said that he was sure Johnson “was lying to me” during the course of the trial about the details of the stabbing and his claims of self-defence. Justice Chapple said that as a result of earlier provocation, Johnson had sought to confront the deceased to “even the score” and had intended to hurt him.
Johnson is now facing a life sentence, though Justice Chapple said he will have to make the difficult decision on the length of time the young adult must serve before he can become eligible for parole. Although the law calls for a 30 year average tariff, the judge has some discretion, given the circumstances of the murder and the person who commits it, particularly with regard to age, as is the case with Johnson, who was just 20 at the time of the murder and has no previous convictions.
As the judge delivered his ruing, he outlined in detail the facts of the case. Johnson had gone to the Strand entertainment complex with two friends that night. He went into Lillie’s nightclub but had been separated from them. At some point he had...
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