MURDER accused, Charles Anthony Woolford allegedly murdered his wife Latoya in 2009 after finding her in a compromising position with a man named Andy.Although this was not the State’s case but that of the accused who claimed that Andy was the man who committed the act, the jury nevertheless found that there was provocation and returned a verdict of guilty of manslaughter.
Justice Brassington Reynolds accepted a plea in mitigation from Defence Counsel, Mr. Peter Hugh who said that the accused through no fault of his own was incarcerated for six years and had undergone three trials for the same offence.
Hugh also urged the judge to show by his sentencing that the jury’s verdict of manslaughter indicated that on the day in question the accused was ‘not master of his mind’ as a result of his discovery when he turned up home earlier than usual.
Leading Prosecutrix, Miss Mercedes Thompson noted that what the jury highlighted was not the State’s case, but she did not say whether she would recommend an appeal.
Justice Reynolds also noted that a life was lost and the Probation Report had indicated that the sentence should be a deterrent to would-be offenders.
The judge then said that he would begin his manslaughter sentence with 20 years and deduct six years for the time Woolford was incarcerated and another year in view of the mitigation plea by his lawyer. Therefore the prisoner was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment.
Woolford had on Sunday 8th February, 2009, at Georgetown murdered Latoya Woolford.
Following the sentence yesterday the mother of the manslaughter convict screamed out and had to be pacified while in the precinct of the court.

By George Barclay