NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 18: Bun B attends the premiere of Hulu's "Hip-Hop and The White House" at Metrograph on April 18, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
A judge has sentenced the man convicted of robbing rapper Bun B and holding his wife Queenie at gunpoint during a home invasion in April 2019.
ABC13 reports that Demonte Jackson, the suspect, pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and burglary. He received a 40-year prison sentence with the possibility of parole after 20 years. According to Jackson’s attorney, the case has taken five years due to his client’s mental health issues.
At 20 years old, Jackson held Bun B’s wife Queenie at gunpoint, which caused him to sustain injuries in a subsequent gunfight with the Houston musician.
After the sentencing, Demonte’s father spoke, expressing his belief that the couple’s celebrity status influenced his son’s harsher sentence. However, prosecutors have denied that Bun B’s high profile played a role in the sentencing outcome.
“I wanted to apologize on behalf of my son to the Freeman family for the pain that she did endure. However, I believe that just because you’re a celebrity doesn’t mean you should give somebody a life sentence,” Demonte’s father stated.
As The Shade Room previously reported, Bun B became emotional as he provided his testimony during the sentencing hearing for the individual who invaded his home in April 2019. According to ABC13, the southern musician became tearful as he described the ongoing challenges he and his wife are facing in the aftermath of the terrifying incident.
In his testimony, Bun B told the jury that Demonte forced his way into their Third Ward home, putting a gun to his wife’s head in an attempt to rob them and steal their car. Bun B was reportedly upstairs during the altercation but later retrieved a gun and fired at Jackson, who was behind the wheel of a vehicle in the family garage.
“I proceeded to unload my weapon, he fell out of the car. He threw his gun down. I started fighting with him. My wife came through the garage door. She started screaming,” Bun B explained.
Per ABC13, Bun B told the court that his wife Queenie, also known as Chalvalier Freeman, struggled with anxiety and had just finished therapy before the home invasion occurred.
“This was an entirely new traumatizing incident, this is something we still deal with to this day,” Bun B said.
The rapper continued to get emotional on the stand as he recounted the events of that night, expressing to the court that his wife did not deserve the trauma inflicted by Jackson.
“Just the idea of seeing my wife in this state, hearing her voice in this state. I’m her husband. That’s my primary job, to protect her and make her feel safe, and I wanted to know who did this to her,” Bun B further stated.
According to KHOU11, Bun B’s wife was visibly distressed upon encountering her attacker in court on Thursday (June 6), prompting the judge to call for a recess. Additionally, she spoke about the punishment she hoped for in the case.
“Time in the penitentiary so he can see how it feels to get robbed of your freedom,” Queenie explained.
