Courtney Farley, who was accused of killing his wife, was freed yesterday after a jury found him not guilty of murder at the High Court.
Farley was on trial before Justice Navindra Singh and a 12-member jury for the murder of his wife, Melanie Farley. In addition to being cleared of the murder charge, he was also acquitted on the lesser charge of manslaughter by a majority verdict that was given by the jurors when they returned from their deliberation.
Farley was alleged to have murdered his wife in 2010 at Haslington, East Coast Demerara. He was represented by attorney Kevon Bess.
According to the prosecution’s case, the man and his wife had an argument on January 2, 2010, after which he picked up a cutlass and began to chase her. In order to escape, the woman ran out to the verandah of their house and when Farley pushed the verandah door, she fell. She succumbed to her injuries five days after.
State counsel Natasha Backer and Tishana Lake had presented two witnesses, including an eyewitness to testify in their case. Farley’s statement to the police was also admitted as evidence against him during the trial, which started on Wednesday and saw the prosecution closing its case on the same day.
