sentenced to 15 years in jail.

After five hours of deliberation, jurors ruled he was innocent of premeditated murder, the charge he has denied in three trials.

And his lawyer, Mr. Tim Marshall, claimed the verdict left Watson's accomplice Ricky Smith holding the wrench -- the weapon used against Doe in 1988.

The decision of the five-man, seven-woman jury was unanimous. Watson told the court in a quiet voice: "My Lord, I understand the sentence and I will leave any comment to Mr. Marshall.

Sentencing him, Chief Justice the Hon. Sir James Astwood said the time Watson has already served in jail had been taken into consideration.

He told Watson: "The jury worked it out pretty good.'' After the trial an exhausted Mr. Marshall admitted he was disappointed, since Watson had denied attacking Doe throughout his "three-year ordeal''.

He said his "gut-feeling'' was that the sentence was appropriate, but it was up to his client whether to appeal against the conviction.

He added: "The verdict does seem to put the wrench in Ricky Smith's hand, and I think something has got to be done to fully examine what happened four years ago in this Police investigation and why Ricky Smith was not put on trial.'' He said Watson's three trials had cost around $600,000 of public money. And he called again for consideration of whether tape recorders or video cameras should be present when Police interview suspects.

If interviews were taped, he said, "maybe none of this might have happened.

"You can't forget the tragedy that the Doe family suffered,'' he said. "It's not been a pleasant experience for anybody.'' Earlier in the day the Chief Justice summed up the evidence for the jury, telling them the case hinged on Watson's statements to Police and in a letter written to Ricky Smith in Casemates.

He said manslaughter might be their decision if they thought Watson injured Mr. Doe without intending to cause him grievous bodily harm or to kill him, or if they thought Smith and Watson planned to rob Doe using force, and then Smith injured Doe. In the second case, Watson would be as guilty as Smith.

Shortly before giving their verdict the jury asked the Chief Justice for more legal guidance on this area. Prosecutor Mr. Barrie Meade told the Chief Justice the issues had not been made clear enough, but Sir James sent the jury back.

Doe was found unconscious in a pool of blood in the kitchen of his home on McGall's Hill, Smith's Parish, on December 9. He died nine months later without waking from a coma. Smith admitted robbery and got seven years, while Watson's two earlier trials proved inconclusive.

MILTON WATSON -- sentenced to 15 years after the jury found him guilty of manslaughter.