Hairdresser gets three days jail for wounding

HIGH COURT Judge Herbert Volney yesterday sentenced Carenage hairdresser Roxanne Headley to three days simple jail time, after a nine-member jury found her guilty of unlawful and malicious wounding.

Headley appeared before Justice Volney in the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court charged with wounding Karen Swarn with intent during an incident on June 17, 2002. However, after deliberating for just under one hour, the jury returned the guilty verdict to the lesser count of unlawful and malicious wounding. In a plea in mitigation following the verdict yesterday, defence attorney Keith Scotland told the court that his client had no previous nor pending matters and was a single mother of two girls ages 13 and seven. He explained that Headley, 27, became a single mother after her common law husband Steve Hall was shot and killed.

Scotland told the court that the act his client had committed was not premeditated and asked the judge not to impose a custodial sentence. Scotland also presented two testimonials attesting to Headley’s character and her continued support of activities within her community and her children’s schools. Scotland suggested that the court place Headley on a bond to be of good behaviour and keep the peace. In response Justice Volney pointed out that bonds did not impact forcefully enough on people for the crimes they commit. He stated that a bond should only be given in specific circumstances. He pointed out that people were not taking the law serious enough. He explained that “if every time someone is found urinating on a public building, they are sent to jail for a day, they would know that there is a punishment for that sort of behaviour.”

Justice Volney also noted that if drivers who use the Priority Bus Route illegally have their vehicles taken away from them for two or three days, they will know that there is a penalty for breaking the law. He further stated that they will know that to break the law again would mean a harsher penalty. On the matter before him, Justice Volney pointed out that there must be an ingredient of punishment and pointed out that he did not consider a bond being his idea of a penalty. In passing sentence, the judge explained that he was not exacting any revenge on Swarn’s behalf since she is not entitled to revenge. However, he noted that she was entitled to justice. The judge then ordered that Headley be taken away immediately and that she be released no later than Monday. Attorney Debbie-Ann Bassau represented the State in the matter.