Denise Hilliman was yesterday set free by Justice Damone Young at the High Court in Demerara after a 12-person jury returned a verdict of not guilty on charges of attempting to commit murder and felonious wounding.
It was alleged that Hilliman, on July 11, 2021, with intent to commit murder, caused grievous bodily harm to Otoley Whyte.
According to reports, on July 11, 2021, Whyte, a 38-year-old grocery store operator from Lamaha Reserve, Georgetown, was stabbed during a confrontation with her neighbour – the accused, following a heated argument involving family members.
The altercation began when Whyte’s brother, Quincy, was involved in a dispute with Hilliman’s sons over a gambling issue. Otoley intervened, advising her brother to avoid conflict, but tensions escalated when the accused emerged from her yard, leading to a verbal exchange between the two women. The accused allegedly armed her sons with a cutlass and a knife, while she herself wielded a knife.
As the situation intensified, Otoley reported hearing the accused instructing a male companion to “chop” her, although he did not act on this. Moments later, Otoley’s brother was confronted by Hilliman’s son who was armed with a gun. He threatened violence and fired shots into the air, although the gun malfunctioned when aimed at Otoley’s brother-in-law.
In the midst of the chaos, Otoley attempted to separate the fighting parties when she was allegedly stabbed in the side by the accused using a pitchfork. Despite the severity of her injury, she initially did not see significant bleeding. Otoley lost consciousness en route to the hospital after a vehicle mishap but was ultimately treated for a serious chest wound requiring surgery.
Witnesses, including Otoley’s daughter and niece, corroborated the events leading up to the stabbing, noting the accused’s aggressive behaviour throughout the day. Law enforcement officials later arrested the accused, who remained silent when confronted with the allegations.
Medical reports confirmed that Otoley sustained life-threatening injuries.
However the jury returned with a 11-1 verdict of not-guilty for the offence of attempt to commit murder and a 10-2 not-guilty verdict of felonious wounding.
When the decision was read, an emotional Hilliman fell to her knees in tears thanking the court for its ruling. she was represented by attorney-at-law Konyo Sandiford, while the state was represented by prosecutors Abiola Lowe and Yonika Rowland.