PHILIPSBURG–A 31-year-old woman who was facing a prison sentence of eighteen months, six of which were to be suspended, on three years’ probation, for seriously injuring her elderly mother-in-law with a shoe was acquitted Wednesday for lack of evidence.
However, the Court did find it proven that the woman of Romanian descent had threatened her mother-in-law’s life during the incident of October 26, 2017, for which she was sentenced to 80 hours of community service.
Gabriela Paun-Lockhon allegedly kicked her 81-year-old mother-in-law in the face with one of her heels during a fight. The victim suffered serious damage to one of her eyes and was rushed to St. Maarten Medical Center. The damage to her eye was so severe that she was flown abroad for medical attention, but according to specialists in the United States, nothing could be done to save the eye.
The victim was present at the July 4 Court hearing to file for damages and claimed compensation of medical cost to the tune of US $7,000.
Paun-Lockhon was arrested on October 29, 2017. She spent nine days in pre-trial detention.
The Prosecutor considered severe physical injury proven. He also found it proven that the defendant had threatened the victim’s life. As the Prosecutor also found that the defendant had an alcohol problem, he called on the Court to impose a ban on the use of alcoholic beverages and drugs, with Parole Board supervision.
The Judge explained Wednesday that the evidence in this case was difficult to find, as the victim, the defendant and the witness (the victim’s son and defendant’s husband) all had different versions of what had transpired.
According to the victim, her daughter-in-law had given her a karate kick in the face during which she presumably was hit in the eye by the heel of a shoe.
The defendant painted a totally different chain of events. She denied she had committed any crime and said it was an accident. She claimed her mother-in-law had attacked her. This move caused her to land on her back. In doing so her feet went up in the air and the tip of the shoe on her right foot, not the heel, hit her mother-in-law’s face.
As these two versions of what had transpired could not both be true, the Judge compared these two statements with those provided by the son/husband, but these did not provide any clarity either.
In contrast with the victim’s version, the defendant’s statement was supported by images of her injuries. She had stated that she landed on her back and the pictures indeed showed injuries to her backside, the Judge stated. All in all, the Court arrived at the conclusion that there was too much room for doubt to reach a verdict.
By contrast, the Court did find it proven that the defendant had threatened her mother-in-law’s life and had told her that she was going to kill her.
Her husband had stated that the two women had been in an argument that night, but that he could not exactly remember what words had been used.
The Court held it against the defendant that the crime was committed within the family circle and in the presence of a minor daughter. The Court did not award damages, as the defendant acquitted of intentionally causing severe physical injury.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/78947-woman-acquitted-of-purposefully-kicking-out-mother-in-law-s-eye
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