TWENTY YEAR OLD GETS 15 YEARS FO MANSLAUGHTER

After hearing mitigation pleas from two character witnesses, Justice Herbert Lord sentenced, twenty year old Guatemalan, Yanira Escobar, to fifteen years imprisonment. Escobar, who also goes by Dominga Hernandez, was found guilty of Manslaughter two weeks ago in connection with the 2005 stabbing death of twenty-two year old Yesenia Jessica Salguero. In court today Escobar’s childhood friend, Ana Trujillo, took the stand and told the court that she has known Escobar since she was eight years old and that as a child Escobar used to deliver tortillas for her for a living. She said Escobar has always been an honest, respectful and humble person. The other person to take the stand was Carla Casimiro, a Principal Officer at Hattieville Prison, who testified that since Escobar has been on remand awaiting trial, she has engaged in positive programmes at the facility, such as Arts and Craft, literacy, and catering. Lindberth Willis also asked Justice Lord to consider the dock statement that Escobar gave and that she was only seventeen at the time of the incident and she was provoked and that she had already spent three years in remand. In closing, Willis asked (quote) “that the court tempers justice with mercy”.

For her part, Director of Public Prosecutions, Sheryl-Lynn Branker-Tait, said that while Escobar is able to take part in prison programmes, there is a dead victim and four orphaned children. When Escobar was asked if she had anything to say before sentencing, she broke down in tears and begged the court for leniency saying that she knows she made a mistake, has asked for forgiveness and wishes she could be able to help her younger sister and niece. In delivering the sentence, Justice Lord said he felt he had no choice but to go with the minimum of fifteen years jail time, which took effect as of July eighteenth when the case started. The incident occurred outside King’s Club in the Cayo district around eleven p.m. on July third 2005 when Salguero was injured, and later died in the hospital. Escobar has been in custody since July fifth, 2005 when the incident occurred.