A woman, who was found guilty of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm with intent, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment when she appeared before the St Ann Circuit Court on Thursday, June 9.
The woman, Shernette Virgo-Alexander, is alleged to have assaulted a two-year-old girl who was in her care. However, Virgo-Alexander’s attorney, Oswest Senior-Smith plans to appeal the conviction and sentence given to his client.
Virgo-Alexander was initially charged with child abuse and child neglect.
However, the prosecution added an additional charge of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm with intent.
On Tuesday, May 31, a seven-member jury found Virgo-Alexander guilty on the assault charge. However, she was found not guilty on the charges of child abuse and child neglect.
Her attorney Oswest Senior-Smith explained that based on the verdicts, he would be appealing, because there was a seeming disparity in the verdicts as both charges stemmed from one incident.
The charges brought against Virgo-Alexander had arisen when in 2009, the child’s mother had gone overseas and left child in the guardianship of Virgo-Alexander.
Subsequent reports reached the police with details of the alleged abuse that was being meted out to the child, Police investigations followed and charges were laid against the accused woman.
When the matter came before high court judge, Justice Carol Lawrence-Beswick on May 27, 2015, prosecutor Jeremy Taylor gave the details, from a medical certificate, of the injuries the child received under the accused’s care. It was heard that the child’s lips were busted, there were lacerations to the lower left side of the child’s body, as well as wounds that needed stiches on the child’s body. There was also abscess and other severe dental issues resulting from child neglect.
In addition, allegations were that the child’s hand was broken and the child’s nose was cut with a knife.
