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Jury acquits Richard Stanton of Patricia Sanasie murder
FREED:
Richard Stanton
Hugs, smiles and tears of joys rained at the High Court in Georgetown yesterday, as family and relatives of Richard Stanton welcomed him in open arms minutes after a jury found him not guilty of the January 2015 of Patricia Sanasie.
After over two hours of deliberation, the jury announced its decision to trial Judge Brassington Reynolds.
At the announcement of the verdict, Stanton who was standing in the prisoner’s dock shouted ‘Yes”, as he raised a copy of the Holy Bible that he was holding.
He also expressed gratitude to the jurors for the unanimous verdict.
Stanton had been accused of murdering Sanasie on January 12, 2015 at Atlantic Ville, East Coast Demerara.
Reports are that 45-year-old Sanasie was riddled with bullets by gunmen clad in black just as she was about to enter her yard. She was shot to the chest, abdomen, neck and groin.
The shooting occurred almost a year after her husband survived a similar attempt on his life. It was reported that Romona Sanasie, daughter of the deceased, positively identified Stanton as her mother’s killer.
At the time of her mother’s death, the young woman was in the car with her mother.
Before discharging Stanton, Justice Reynolds seized the opportunity to give the former murder accused some words of advice. The judge pointed out to Stanton that this is the closest that he could have come to receiving the death sentence.
Further, the Judge told him that this situation has been a close call for him, and that he should give God praises since he has been afforded another opportunity to make the most out of life.
Justice Reynolds told Stanton that if he should ever hear about him again, he hopes it would be about good things.
Outside of the courtroom, the clock was ticking at minutes to 19:00hrs and Stanton and his family were making plans to attend church service yesterday evening.
Expressing his satisfaction with the verdict, Stanton told reporters, “God had proven Himself that He is great. God knows that I am innocent of this whole crime. And may the family (of Patricia Sanasie) get justice the right way. You know when man appoints, God does disappoint.”
Earlier on in the week, Stanton while leading his defence had told the jury that he does not have the grit to kill someone.
Taking the court back to his life as a child, Stanton told the court that on numerous occasions, he witnessed his mother being abused by her partners, just so that she can provide for their family.
Directing the attention of the jury to his mother who was seated in the courtroom, the murder accused pointed to several cuts and scars on his mother’s face. He added that she received them at the hands of her abusive spouses.
“It would hurt me to hurt a woman,” a pitiful Stanton told trial Judge Brassington Reynolds at the High Court in Georgetown.
“I am not a killer. I didn’t kill that woman. I have no need to do that. I have three boy children and they all depend on me.”
He continued, “I have been away from them for three years for something I have never done,” as he pointed to the mother of his children who was also seated in the courtroom.
The murder accused disclosed that he and the woman have been in a relationship for the past 11 years.
Throughout the trial, Stanton was represented by Attorney-at-law Mark Waldron in association with Attorney-at-law Keoma Griffith.
Appearing for the prosecution were State Counsel Tiffini Lyken, State Counsel Narissa Leander and State Counsel Seeta Bishundial.
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