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Mass murderer charged with assaulting female cop at lockup

Loop News

September 18, 2022 2:38 PM ET

3 mins read

Rushane ‘Jett’ Barnett, who pleaded guilty to killing his cousin and her four young children in Cocoa Piece district, Clarendon in June of this year, has been slapped with multiple offences relative to the alleged assault of a policewoman at the Half-Way Tree lockup last week.

Barnett, 23, has been charged with assault occasioning bodily harm, threat, uttering abusive and calumnious language, and possession of contraband.

A court date is being finalised for the accused in relation to the incident, the police said.

It was reported that on Tuesday, an altercation developed among some inmates in a cell at the lockup. A female cop on duty intervened and later noticed that Barnett was acting suspiciously.

A search of his person was requested, but Barnett allegedly became boisterous, and the officer requested help from her colleagues.

Barnett was eventually searched and was allegedly found with contraband, including a cell phone.

It was further reported that Barnett assaulted the policewoman and threw juice at other police personnel.

The situation was eventually brought under control, and Barnett was restrained.

He was subsequently charged.

In July, Barnett entered guilty pleas for five counts of murder in relation to the killings of Kimesha Wright, 31; Kimanda Smith, 15; Sharalee Smith, 10; Rafaella Smith, five; and 23-month-old Kishawn Henry Jr.

The killings are reportedly occurred between the night of June 20 and the early morning of June 21. The victims were reportedly found with stab wounds and their throats slashed.

At a subsequent court hearing where Barnett pleaded guilty, it was heard that he felt disrespected by Wright in front of customers some days before the killings.

In all, the five family members received a total of 95 incised wounds to their bodies – all inflicted by the convict.

The youngest among the four, little Kishawn, had 11 incised wounds, inclusive of a wound to the neck, which the doctor described as a cut throat injury, the post-mortem report said.

Barnett made his first appearance in the Home Circuit Court a week after the murders, where the prosecution served him a copy of a Death Penalty Notice that it filed in the Supreme Court ahead of his trial.

The court was also informed that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) will be seeking the death penalty.

However, it is unlikely that Barnett will be executed by the state due to a Privy Council ruling which requires that the death penalty be commuted to a life sentence if the convict spends more than five years on death row.

The death penalty has not been applied in Jamaica for over 30 years.