Wife lied about husbands death

Hutchinson told a judge and jury, Bedeau’s act of killing her husband was difficult to explain although it was ascertained that the accused was suffering from Battered Wife Syndrome (BWS).

Hutchinson, who is the Head of the Psychiatric Unit at UWI’s Faculty of Medical Sciences, had given evidence as a defence witness on Monday. The doctor testified that Bedeau showed signs of suffering from BWS and should not be held “entirely responsible” for her husband’s death.

Bedeau, 41, is on trial before Justice Anthony Carmona and a 12-member jury for the murder of her husband Bernard, 41. She is alleged to have stabbed him to death during a fight at their Warden Road, Point Fortin home in November 2002.

Bedeau is alleged to have burnt and buried her husband near an outhouse behind their home.

Cross-examined by State Counsel Angela Teelucksingh yesterday, Dr Hutchinson said in his interview with Bedeau on March 19, at the Women’s Prison in Golden Grove, Arouca, the accused told him she could not remember how she disposed of her husband’s body after his death.

“She does remember being overcome with fear as to what will happen when or if the body was found. This is what led her to burn the body and when she recognised this would not completely escape detection, she subsequently buried it,” the doctor said. Hutchinson admitted that Bedeau did not tell him she poured kerosene on her husband’s corpse and allowed it to burn for an hour. The psychiatrist testified that Bedeau described living in a “dream-like state” weeks before her husband’s death.

Hutchinson also told the judge and jury that based on his assessment, Bedeau may not have been conscious of what was taking place around her after the death of her husband. “She carried out her life as normal,” Hutchinson said.

Under re-examination by attorney Mewalal Chatoor, who is defending Bedeau, Hutchinson testified that persons who encounter traumatic experiences tend to be in a state of turmoil.

In response to a question by Justice Carmona, Hutchinson said Bedeau did not suffer from inherent or congenital mental problems.