Lennox Franklyn DaSilva could face less than 10 years in prison for using a machete-like weapon to kill his wife in front of two children.
On Monday Mr. DaSilva appeared in High Court before Justice Anne-Marie Smith, who listened to the prosecution and defence list aggravating and mitigating factors of the case.
Mr. DaSilva was charged with murder and manslaughter, the former of which is a more serious crime. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but not guilty to murder.
After deciding on the manslaughter charge, the judge will then decide what to do with the murder charge.
On Monday, defence attorney Patrick Thompson outlined mitigating factors such as admitted guilt, a lack of previous convictions, and evident remorse for the crime, and he asked the judge to reduce his sentence into the single digits. The prosecution argued for a sentence between eight and 12 years.
The killing
On June 10, 2017, the defendant and his wife, Sherika Nelson DaSilva, got into an argument that resulted in her death.
According to the prosecution, Ms. DaSilva came into the house in a rage, packing her clothes into a suitcase.
Mr. DaSilva described a feeling coming over him after his wife repeatedly said she wished he had been killed in Jamaica, where he was attacked and shot at previously, according to the prosecution.
This provocation, the defence argued, led to Mr. DaSilva losing control of his mind and carrying out the act of violence. The prosecution did not dispute this account.
When police arrived on the scene, Mr. DaSilva agreed to an interview immediately and showed remorse for his actions, Principal Crown Counsel Tiffany Scatliffe-Esprit said.
Ms. Smith will weigh these considerations against the aggravating factors: the machete-type weapon that was used to slit the victim’s throat, and the fact that the killing happened in front of two children, who were traumatised by the event.
The case is scheduled to return to court on May 24.