KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in the case of convicted killer Peter Dougal, who has challenged the death penalty imposed on him.

In submissions in court on Tuesday, Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn conceded that the recent ruling by the London-based Privy Council in a case from St Vincent and the Grenadines makes it virtually impossible for the local court to arrive at a hasty decision.

In June, the Privy Council ruled that the death penalty was excessive in the case of a Vincentian, Daniel Trimmingham, who was sentenced to death in 2004 for killing a goat farmer during a robbery.

Llewellyn said the Privy Council is trying to push the Jamaican government towards abolishing the death penalty based on the recent ruling.

But according to her, legislators here are hoping that the death penalty remains on the books. As a result, she urged the court to dismiss Dougal’s appeal and confirm the death penalty.

Following the submissions, the judges on the special appeal panel said they would reserve their judgment until a later date.

Dougal, 40, was sentenced to death in 2007 for the 2005 murder of the past president of businessman Lloyd Brown and his companion, Sandra Campbell.

Last week Dougal’s co-accused 41-year-old Donald Whyte, was freed by the Court of Appeal.

The court found that the prosecution’s case against Whyte was weak because the Crown relied on indirect hearsay evidence.

Whyte was serving a sentence of life imprisonment and was ordered to serve 40 years before being eligible for parole.