Stroke victim freed for killing husband

UPDATED 29/09:

Jassodra Jugmohan, who arrived at the San Fernando High Court on Tuesday on a stretcher, walked out of the court with a smile on her face, surrounded by her lawyers, after she was set free on a charge of killing her husband.

Justice Althea Alexis-Windsor set Jugmohan, 62, free after deeming her as having served her sentence, as the accused spent close to ten years in prison awaiting the start of the trial. On Tuesday, Jugmohan arrived at the courthouse in a prison van and was placed on a stretcher. During her incarceration, Jugmohan suffered three minor strokes.

The woman, who can barely speak, only smiled as she was slowly led out of the court after being told she was free to go by Justice Alexis-Windsor. The judge discounted the years Jugmohan of Penal, spent in prison awaiting trial for the murder in which she is alleged to have conspired with another relative, to kill husband Jagdrindranan Jugmohan, 52.

Jassodra was charged with murder and incarcerated at the Women’s Prison. A preliminary inquiry ended when the coronor discharged the woman an the ground that the prosecution did not make out a prima facie case against her. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution re-indicted Jugmohan after a Judge in Chamber reviewed the evidence.

On Tuesday, the charge of murder was read to Jugmohan who pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. Former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj got a fiat (permission) from the DPP to prosecute while Prakash Ramadhar led a team of attorneys defending Jugmohan.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Justice was tempered with mercy this morning when a San Fernando High Court judge freed 63-year-old stroke victim Jassodra Jugmohan, for killing her husband ten years ago.

The Penal woman has spent nine years and three months awaiting trial for murder, but last week pleaded guilty before Justice Althea Alexis-Windsor.

The judge discounted the years Jugmohan, of Penal, spent in prison awaiting trial for the murder in which she is alleged to have conspired with another relative, to kill husband Jagdrindranan Jugmohan, 52.

He was choked to death.