– as jury finds her guilty of manslaughter

IT WAS sheer drama on Thursday afternoon as a 12-member jury brought 25-year-old Hofosawa Awena Rutherford in guilty on two counts of manslaughter for the murder of her two young children back in 2014.

On hearing the first verdict, Rutherford fainted in the prisoner’s box, and was only saved from injuring herself by the timely intervention of female police ranks.

As was only to be expected, the diversion brought the court’s proceedings to a standstill, as everyone present in the courtroom seemed taken aback by the woman’s reaction.

At this point, Rutherford’s attorney, Adrian Thompson asked the judge’s permission to allow one of her many relatives seated in the courtroom to help revive her, seeing that they’d already had the presence of mind to walk with a bottle of Limacol.

Justice Singh, in his compassion, granted the request, and a female relative tried reviving the prisoner, with the aid of several female ranks attached to the Georgetown High Court.

On coming to briefly, Rutherford screamed and again swooned, but luckily, the prisoners’ bench had by then been removed in anticipation of just such an eventuality, and she was gently guided to the ground.

As she lay there, her lawyer again intervened, asking the judge’s permission this time around to summon the prison Medex. The judge, by now wary of all the goings on, politely asked counsel whether he thought his client was indeed in need of medical attention.

The registrar meanwhile, seeing an opportunity to conclude the trial, asked the foreman of the jury how he found the accused on the second count of manslaughter, and the latter’s response was guilty as well.

Thompson, knowing that his client was in no frame of mind to withstand another shock, requested that sentencing be deferred.
In acceding to the request, Justice Singh adjourned sentencing to 13:00h today.