Former People’s National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament Jolyan Silvera will remain in custody after the Court of Appeal on Tuesday upheld a prior ruling denying him bail in connection with the murder of his wife, Mellissa Silvera.
Silvera has been in custody since January 2024. He is facing murder charges along with an additional charge of using a firearm to commit a felony.
Appearing before the Court of Appeal, Silvera’s legal team—led by King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie and attorney-at-law Patrice Riley—sought to overturn a Supreme Court decision that had denied their client bail. However, the court rejected the application, citing the gravity of the allegations and the strength of the Crown’s case.
Justice Vivene Harris, who presided over the matter, said there was no compelling reason to disturb the lower court’s ruling. She highlighted the alleged use of a firearm in the commission of the offence and the evidentiary strength of the prosecution’s case as key factors in the decision.
Silvera’s attorneys had presented an independent ballistic report as part of their appeal. But Justice Harris dismissed its weight, stating that the report amounted to “just an opinion,” offering no more conclusive evidence than the Crown’s forensic submissions.
According to police reports, Mellissa Silvera, 42, was found dead at the couple’s home in Stony Hill, St. Andrew, on November 10, 2023. Initial reports suggested she had died of natural causes. However, a post-mortem conducted weeks later revealed she had been shot multiple times, and three bullet fragments were reportedly recovered from her body.
The Crown, represented by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Dwayne Green, has asserted that the evidence “points squarely” to Silvera’s involvement in the killing.
Jolyan Silvera has continued to deny any wrongdoing. “He has maintained his position of innocence from day one. I am not saying that he is, because I understand that there is a report to that effect. No lawyer should ever really say that because if you are so certain, then you would be a witness,” Champagnie said previously.
A trial readiness hearing is scheduled for September 25, 2025, with the trial set to begin on January 12, 2026.
