Supreme Court judge, Carol Beswick, made the order in the Home Circuit Court on Friday when she passed a life-imprisonment sentence on 33-year-old steelworker Christopher Edgehill, of Annotto Bay, St Mary.

The Chins, who operated the Penny Supermarket in Annotto Bay, were fatally shot at their gate at Bellefield, near Highgate, St Mary, on the night of July 3, 2004.

They were robbed of a large sum of money and Mr Chin's licensed firearm was stolen.

Gun recovered

Mr Chin's gun was recovered at Edgehill's house after he confessed to the police that he participated in the robbery.

Prosecutors Diahann Gordon Harrison and Sanchia Burrell had asked for the death penalty because of the brutal and savage manner in which the Chins were murdered. They pointed out that Edgehill shot Mrs Chin twice while she was running.

Defence lawyer Dr Randolph Williams opposed the application for the death penalty.

Godfrey Williams and Cecil Wright, both of Annotto Bay, went on trial with Edgehill for the double murder, but the jury failed to arrive at a verdict and a retrial was ordered for them.