There was a dramatic twist in the case of a mentally-ill woman charged for the murder of her 11-month-old child in the St. Mary Circuit Court today, Tuesday, Feb 23.
Forty-two-year-old Michelle Stewart, a vendor of Fort George, Annotto Bay, in the parish pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of infanticide.
Allegations are that on Thursday morning, February 10, 2013, Stewart reportedly inflicted chop wounds to the neck and other parts of the body of her child, Lyndon Mattison. Afterwards, she walked into the Annotto Bay Police station and confessed to the crime.
The guilty plea of infanticide was accepted by Justice Carol Lawrence-Beswick who told the jurors that under the law provides for the plea because the person killed was below 12-months-old and Stewart was not in full control of her mind at the time of the death.
The sentencing of Stewart was delayed as Mrs Justice Lawrence-Beswick needed to hear from the probation officer and Stewart’s doctor in order to give her a fair sentence.
Sentencing resumes tomorrow morning.
