Husband guilty of wounding wife
By AZARD ALI Saturday, November 24 2012
BASIL
DE LEON, a cassava farmer of New Grant, Princes Town was found guilty
yesterday of chopping off a finger of his common-law wife, five years
ago.
He will be sentenced on Monday by Justice Malcolm Holdip in the San Fernando High Court.
The wife, Meena Rampersad, 53, testified before a jury that she left the matrimonial home and De Leon confronted her with a cutlass in front her new home at Pierre Phillip Trace, New Grant, and chopped her twice. She lost the middle finger on the left hand, and was cut across the wrist.
De Leon, 60, of Tabaquite, was charged with attempted murder and the lesser count of wounding with intent.
Yesterday, a jury of nine members, found De Leon not guilty on the first count, but guilty on the lesser count by a majority verdict of eight for and one against.
Senior State Attorney Angelica Teelucksingh led evidence from Rampersad who testified that she and De Leon lived together for ten years and nine months in Tabaquite. They had two children, but De Leon had six other children from a previous marriage.
Rampersad said she left the matrimonial home and went to live on her own at Pierre Phillip Trace, but on November 19, 2007, husband De Leon turned up at her gates armed with a cutlass. She told the jury that De Leon attacked her with a cutlass, during which she was cut twice. She added that, De Leon told her, “Meena, come kneel down here let me kill you.”
Attorney Rekha Ramjit who represented De Leon, led evidence from the accused husband, who admitted that he went to Rampersad’s home. However, he told the jury of four women and five men, that he told wife Rampersad: “Meena, you take everything from the house; you could’ve take half.”
De Leon testified that it was Rampersad who attacked him with a knife and he swung the cutlass. He said, he drew his cutlass, which was tendered into evidence and swung it twice. The blade, the husband added, was sharpened on both sides which accounted for her being cut.
Yesterday, the jury retired for the mandatory three hours, and when Holdip asked the foreman if she and the rest of the panel arrived at a verdict in respect of the attempted murder, the woman answered: “No.”
The foreman was then asked whether their members were divided and she said it was a unanimous decision of nine in favour of not guilty.
The judge’s Judicial Officer then asked the foreman about their decision on the second count of wounding. She said that they were undecided. Asked the ratio of the division without revealing whether guilty or not guilty, the foreman said: “Eight to One.”
After telling the court that eight of their numbers were in favour of a guilty verdict and one against, Holdip told the foreman that according to law, the verdict was a majority one and therefore the accused was guilty on the second count.
Ramjit will make a plea in mitigation on Monday after which the judge will pass sentence. The accused man was remanded into custody to await the sentence.
The wife, Meena Rampersad, 53, testified before a jury that she left the matrimonial home and De Leon confronted her with a cutlass in front her new home at Pierre Phillip Trace, New Grant, and chopped her twice. She lost the middle finger on the left hand, and was cut across the wrist.
De Leon, 60, of Tabaquite, was charged with attempted murder and the lesser count of wounding with intent.
Yesterday, a jury of nine members, found De Leon not guilty on the first count, but guilty on the lesser count by a majority verdict of eight for and one against.
Senior State Attorney Angelica Teelucksingh led evidence from Rampersad who testified that she and De Leon lived together for ten years and nine months in Tabaquite. They had two children, but De Leon had six other children from a previous marriage.
Rampersad said she left the matrimonial home and went to live on her own at Pierre Phillip Trace, but on November 19, 2007, husband De Leon turned up at her gates armed with a cutlass. She told the jury that De Leon attacked her with a cutlass, during which she was cut twice. She added that, De Leon told her, “Meena, come kneel down here let me kill you.”
Attorney Rekha Ramjit who represented De Leon, led evidence from the accused husband, who admitted that he went to Rampersad’s home. However, he told the jury of four women and five men, that he told wife Rampersad: “Meena, you take everything from the house; you could’ve take half.”
De Leon testified that it was Rampersad who attacked him with a knife and he swung the cutlass. He said, he drew his cutlass, which was tendered into evidence and swung it twice. The blade, the husband added, was sharpened on both sides which accounted for her being cut.
Yesterday, the jury retired for the mandatory three hours, and when Holdip asked the foreman if she and the rest of the panel arrived at a verdict in respect of the attempted murder, the woman answered: “No.”
The foreman was then asked whether their members were divided and she said it was a unanimous decision of nine in favour of not guilty.
The judge’s Judicial Officer then asked the foreman about their decision on the second count of wounding. She said that they were undecided. Asked the ratio of the division without revealing whether guilty or not guilty, the foreman said: “Eight to One.”
After telling the court that eight of their numbers were in favour of a guilty verdict and one against, Holdip told the foreman that according to law, the verdict was a majority one and therefore the accused was guilty on the second count.
Ramjit will make a plea in mitigation on Monday after which the judge will pass sentence. The accused man was remanded into custody to await the sentence.
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