A man who used a sledgehammer to inflict fatal head injuries to his mother and two brothers has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

Christopher Oliver, 26, who was employed as a clerk at the Taxpayer Audit and Assessment Department, pleaded guilty in November last year to manslaughter charges. The guilty plea was taken based on diminished responsibility.

After he pleaded guilty, Justice Bryan Sykes put off sentencing until yesterday in order to get further psychiatric reports.

Dr Colleen Gooden testified in the Home Circuit Court yesterday that Oliver was suffering from a chronic psychotic disorder and had lost touch with reality at the time of the incident. She said he would not be a threat to society if he got regular treatment and was monitored by mental-health professionals.

The deceased are Myrtle Oliver, 48; Oneil Oliver, 17; and Omar Oliver, 14; all of Telfer Close, Twickenham Heights, St Catherine.

Oliver's 20-year-old sister and a three-year-old relative were also injured during the attack.

The facts of the case were that about 10:30 p.m. on September 21 last year, one of Oliver's sisters came home and saw him with a sledge hammer in his hand. The sister said the accused had a wild look in his eyes and he hit her in the head with the tool.

mother intervened

When his mother intervened and told him to put down the sledge hammer, he hit his mother in the head. The sister managed to escape and went to the police station and made a report. The police went to the house where they found the bodies at different locations in the house.

It was also reported that Oliver was always complaining that people at his workplace were 'obeahing' him and that his girlfriend was trying to poison him.

Family members disclosed that Oliver began studying witchcraft, had human skulls at the house and was always on the computer researching the subject of witchcraft.

Attorney-at-law Franklin Grenyion submitted that Oliver be sentenced to less than eight years, based on the medical evidence.

The judge said based on the doctor's testimony, he would not impose a sentence of life imprisonment.