-complainant asked court to be merciful
A woman who had stabbed her partner in his chest pleaded guilty yesterday to the charge of unlawful and malicious wounding and was sentenced to two years imprisonment by Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
On June 7 at Georgetown, Lindany Phillips, 22, of 1 Meadow Bank unlawfully and maliciously wounded Carl Halley.
The defendant had initially appeared before the Acting Chief Magistrate on June 11 but was not required to plead to the indictable charge when it was read to her then because the virtual complainant (VC) was still hospitalised and was said to have been in a serious condition.
Halley was present in court yesterday and Phillips was given the opportunity to plead to the summary charge.
Standing in the docks and being read the charge by the Acting Chief Magistrate once again, the defendant yesterday pleaded guilty.
When given a chance to respond, Phillips said that she didn’t have anything to say. The magistrate told her, however, that since she had pleaded guilty to the charge, she needed to explain to the court what had transpired on the day in question. The defendant then replied, “I would just like to say to Carl and his family that I am sorry for all the pain and suffering I’ve caused them.” Phillips went on to say that on the day in question, “I stabbed him because of a misunderstanding that we had, and that’s the truth.”
“Is that all?” the magistrate enquired. “Yes,” the defendant replied. “So you lied to the court on the last occasion because that wasn’t your story all along,” the magistrate said. “Maybe I didn’t get to explain myself the last time, but this is the truth, I stabbed him,” the defendant said to the court.
Be merciful
When asked if he wanted to say anything, the VC responded, “I am just asking you to be merciful on the defendant my worship.” The magistrate explained to the defendant and the VC that the offence is one which carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment. At this time, Phillips who had a relaxed look suddenly appeared to be troubled.
When asked by the magistrate how much time he wanted her to spend, the VC said one year.
The unrepresented Phillips was, however, subsequently sentenced to two years imprisonment.
Once out of the courtroom, the defendant and her relatives started crying loudly at the sentence handed down.
Some hours after the matter had been heard and the sentence handed down, attorney-at-law Winston Murray appeared before the Acting Chief Magistrate to make an application for the matter to be recalled since he said the defendant was not legally represented and was not aware of how to plead.
The Acting Chief Magistrate, however, advised the attorney that she had made her final decision and ruling and as a result was not going to have the matter recalled.
When given the opportunity to respond at her first appearance before the Acting Chief Magistrate, the defendant had told the court that she was only defending herself, adding that she had been suffering constant abuse and provocation by the VC.
Phillips said that she had communicated to Halley that she wanted to end the relationship because of his constant abuse.
On June 11, she told the court that on the day in question, the VC had visited her home and held a screwdriver to her neck because she told him that she wanted to end the relationship due to a problem resulting from a cell phone call.
Phillips, who on the last occasion had admitted stabbing the VC, explained to the court that she never had the intention to kill him.
According to initial reports reaching Stabroek News, on the day in question, Halley had gone to Phillips’ residence and had reportedly answered her cellular phone while she was on an errand at a nearby shop.
According to a source, the person on the other end was a man, and when the woman returned home an argument ensued. It apparently escalated and Halley was stabbed.
