Sentenced to 20 years behind bars for the strangling death of her eight-year-old son Emmanuel, Sonia King has appealed her sentence, arguing that it was too severe given the circumstances of her case.
She is complaining in her notice of appeal filed before the Guyana Court of Appeal, also, that Justice Navindra Singh who presided over her matter and imposed the sentence, did not consider mitigating circumstances.
She argues through her attorney Mark Conway that the judge failed, and or neglected to consider mitigating circumstances which she says arose upon the facts of her case, regarding her mental state at the time she committed the offence.
The woman has indicated in court documents seen by this newspaper, that further grounds of appeal are likely to be added when her case comes up for hearing at a date yet to be fixed by the appellate court.
King, who strangled her son with a bed sheet had originally been charged with murder, but threw herself at the mercy of the court, pleading guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter for unlawfully killing Emmanuel King on February 21st, 2016.
“I don’t know what really come over me,” the woman told Justice Singh at her sentencing earlier this month, as he sought to ascertain from her what exactly transpired on the fateful day.
Emphasising that the deceased was her son and that she was supposed to have protected him, Justice Singh enquired from her how the court could be sure that whatever came over her would not come over her again.
The woman had offered no response, but repeatedly said that she was sorry for her actions, while adding that she was hurting from what she had done. She then begged the judge for mercy, stating that she wanted to have a second chance.
The judge had announced that having considered “all the circumstances of the case,” King would be sentenced to 20 years in jail from which deductions were to be made for time she would have spent on remand awaiting trial.
Conway had told the court that his client had a “troubled upbringing” and is currently under psychiatric care. In mitigation, he had asked the judge to take into consideration her early plea to the lesser offence.
While not read out to the court, a probation report which was requested by the judge ahead of sentencing was presented to him, and attorneys on both sides.
Prosecutor Teriq Mohammed had told the court that the offender, in a caution statement, admitted that “Ah jus’ holding him down. Me son was kicking up wid his foot. Ah hold de sheet there until he stop moving an then ah go an call Robert an tell he a kill Emmanuel.”
It would later be confirmed by the pathologist that Emmanuel died of asphyxiation.
King was arrested after she reportedly confessed to the child’s father that she strangled the boy with a bed sheet because he was being “wicked” and was not taking his school work seriously.
