Latest update December 19th, 2024 3:22 AM
13 years jail for man who killed beautician wife
Charles Anthony Woolford
Charles Anthony Woolford has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for the unlawful killing of his beautician wife, Latoya Conway-Woolford.
The sentence was handed down yesterday by Justice Brassington Reynolds at the High Court in Georgetown.
Woolford was facing trial for the murder of his wife, whom he is alleged to have stabbed on February 8, 2009, during a heated argument at their Lot 2041, Hummingbird Street, Festival City, North Ruimveldt home. The charge was later reduced to manslaughter.
The beautician and mother of three, is said to have had her stomach sliced open during the ordeal. She succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) while receiving treatment.
The accused, who was a self-employed construction worker at the time, tried to end his life by ingesting what was believed to be a poisonous liquid a few hours after learning of his wife’s demise. He was hospitalized but later released to face the murder charge.
Woolford eventually faced three trials for murder. He was only found guilty of the lesser count of manslaughter, by a mixed 12-member jury on June 19 last. However, the Judge did not proceed with the sentence and ordered that probation be conducted into the matter.
Justice Reynolds later explained that a legal issue had surfaced in the case, further deferring sentencing to another date.
Yesterday, the probation report presented to court outlined that the couple’s marriage was plagued by domestic issues.
According to the report, which was read aloud to the court by a Probation Officer, neighbours had expressed surprise at the role the accused played in the incident since he had a soft disposition.
The officer noted, too, that the accused maintained his innocence; he did not take responsibility for his wife’s death.
The Probation Officer faced questions from both the prosecuting team represented by Attorneys- at- Law, Mercedes Thompson, Orinthia Schmidt and Michael Shahoud and Defence Counsel, Peter Hugh.
In a plea of mitigation, Attorney- at– Law Peter Hugh begged the court for leniency. He said that his client, 41, has an unblemished record and no antecedents.
“This is his first conviction,” the lawyer noted, adding that quite astonishingly, his client underwent three trials for the offence and spent six years, seven months in prison pending the outcome of his case.
The third trial, the Attorney said resulted in the jury finding Woolford guilty of the lesser count of manslaughter, an offence in which the jury would have to believe that the accused had inflicted the injury, which led to his wife’s death and that he was provoked to do so.
The Attorney held that while the incident resulted in the death of another person, the court must take into consideration that for a brief period his client was “not the master of his own mind.”
While handing down his ruling, Justice Reynolds described the incident as a crime of passion, one which unfortunately resulted in the loss of a life.
The Judge further told the court that since the crime is related to domestic abuse, the message the court has to send is one of temperance and control for one’s environment.
Justice Reynolds then started the sentence with a tariff of 20 years. He deducted six years for the time, Woolford spent in prison pending the outcome of his case and one year because of the submissions made his Attorney, hence the 13 years jail term.
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