NASSAU-The man who killed a policeman during a carjacking gone wrong has pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty.
Timothy Cole, 49, pleaded guilty to the murder and armed robbery of Inspector Carlis Blatch on Monday, February 10, before a jury was selected to try him.
Prosecutors had planned on pursuing the death penalty but dropped it in exchange for his guilty pleas.
Justice Bernard Turner sentenced Cole to 33 years in prison after accepting a sentencing recommendation from the prosecutor.
With time off for good behavior, Cole could only serve 22 years in prison.
Blatch, 45, was waiting to pick up his child from the H.O. Nash Junior High School on September 12, 2018 when Cole, who was armed with a gun, ordered him out of a Hyundai Elantra.
Blatch, the aide-de-camp of former Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling, complied but was shot in the head during a gun battle with the robber. Cole drove off in the stolen car, which was later ditched on Farrington Road.
Cole, who was identified by two witnesses as the killer, surrendered to police on September 14, 2018 and was charged with murder and armed robbery.
Copyright Bahamas Court News. All rights reserved.
