Lisa Halley, 28, formerly of Swan, Soesdyke-Linden High-way, was yesterday acquitted of a manslaughter charge by High Court Judge Peter Hugh due to insufficient evidence.
Halley had been on trial for the death of her husband, Dailson Halley, who was killed on July 29, 2017, at their home located at Lot 30 Queen Street, Kitty. The State’s case was presented by prosecutor Mikel Puran, while the defence was led by attorney-at-law Damien DaSilva.
DaSilva argued that the evidence presented by the prosecution, even when viewed in the most favourable light, was insufficient to support a conviction. He submitted that a properly instructed jury could not reasonably return a guilty verdict and that the defence should not be required to present its case. Furthermore, the defence contended that the prosecution failed to disprove the possibility that Lisa Halley acted in self-defence during the fatal incident.
The prosecution had based its case on several witnesses, including one eye-witness and a caution statement made by the accused to police following the incident. Despite this, Justice Hugh agreed with the no-case submission put forth by the defence. As a result, he directed the jury to return a formal not-guilty verdict, bringing an end to the trial.
The charge alleged that on July 29, 2017, Lisa Halley unlawfully killed her husband during an altercation at their Kitty residence. Reports from the time of the incident indicated that the couple had a tumultuous relationship and shared two children. During their time together, Lisa Halley had reportedly endured frequent abuse from her husband.
On the day of the fatal confrontation, Dailson Halley reportedly armed himself with a knife and threatened to kill his wife. During the struggle, Lisa Halley managed to disarm him and used the knife to stab him in self-defence. Dailson Halley was subsequently taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
