Twenty-nine-year-old Stacy James walked out of the High Court a free woman yesterday after a 12-member jury found her not guilty of attempting to murder her neighbour.
James, who was represented by attorney James Bond, was on trial before Justice Joann Barlow on a charge of attempted murder and alternatively, wounding with the intent to maim, disfigure or cause grievous bodily harm.
The charge alleged that on January, 21, 2007 at Anira Street, Queenstown, James stabbed Eunita Mendonca to the right side of her chest in an attempt to commit murder or wound her to an extent that would maim, disfigure, disable or cause her grievous bodily harm. The accused, who was said to be 19 years old at the time, had pleaded not guilty.
According to the evidence given in court, bad blood had been brewing between the two women leading up the incident which eventually led to a physical altercation on the day in question.
James’s defence presented to the jury a situation where the young woman claimed that she stabbed Mendonca in self defence after the woman reportedly attacked her and dealt her a blow to the head with a rolling pin.
James had told the court that because she had been imbibing “vodka rum” with a friend just before the altercation, and hence she retaliated in the way she did. She further stated that after receiving the first blow, she reached for a knife which was said to be nearby and pushed Mendonca off, but in doing so, Mendonca reportedly received the stab wound which damaged her right lung.
Before the jurors were sent to the deliberation room, Justice Barlow in offering direction urged the men and women to take a “cold, hard” look at the evidence that was presented during the course of the trial before deciding on a verdict.
But after spending over an hour deliberating, the jury came back and delivered a unanimous verdict of not guilty on both charges. On hearing the verdict, Justice Barlow urged James to view the verdict as a sign that she has purpose in her life.
“Even in the face of insults, walk away; this situation could have been one where you could’ve suffered a different outcome,” the judge said.
A visibly relieved James acknowledged the words of the judge before going on to express gratitude to the members of the jury for finding her not guilty of the offence.
