Former Member of Parliament Jolyan Silvera has reportedly admitted to causing the death of his wife, Melissa Silvera, but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter rather than murder.
Silvera, the former MP for St Mary Western, entered the plea on Monday ahead of the start of his trial in the Gun Court in Kingston. The reasons behind his decision to accept a manslaughter charge have not been made public. The case will now hinge on whether the prosecution and the court accept the plea arrangement.
Director of Public Prosecutions Claudette Thompson said further information is expected to be disclosed on Tuesday. She declined to comment on the matter when approached by reporters, noting that the case remains before the court.
The 52-year-old businessman was originally charged with murder in January 2024, more than a month after his wife was found dead at their Stony Hill, St Andrew home. Melissa Silvera was discovered unresponsive on November 10, 2023.
Early reports suggested that she may have died from natural causes while asleep. However, investigators later upgraded the case after an autopsy revealed the presence of three bullet fragments in her body. The post-mortem examination was carried out approximately three weeks after her death.
Silvera was arrested on January 18 and subsequently charged with murder. He was denied bail and has remained in custody since then. His legal team includes King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie and attorney-at-law Patrice Riley.
The case experienced delays after defence attorneys successfully applied for the testing and examination of key ballistic evidence. Reports indicate that the materials, which were held at a forensic laboratory, had previously not been made available to the defence.
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