Gasparillo mom to be tried for stepdaughter's killing

A WOMAN has been committed to stand trial for the 2016 killing of her four-year-old stepdaughter, Jenice Figaro, at Corosal Road, Gasparillo.

Senior Magistrate Cherril-Ann Antoine made the order yesterday in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court after a preliminary inquiry over the past several months.

Marcia McLean, 30, is the mother of two and Figaro lived with them, but on November 24, the child vomited and complained of feeling sick.

The initial police report was that she had eaten french fries smothered with ketchup and garlic sauce. Figaro became unconscious and by the time she was taken to San Fernando General Hospital, she was dead.

An autopsy revealed that she died of blunt force trauma to the head and McLean was charged with murder.

State Attorney Daneia Myers called six witnesses who gave evidence and presented 21 witness statements from other witnesses for the prosecution.

Attorney Amanda Mohammed made a no-case submission on McLean’s behalf.

Yesterday Antoine invited both attorneys to make oral submissions. She then ruled that the evidence against McLean was circumstantial, she being the child’s only caregiver at the time.

The magistrate said there was sufficient inference to be drawn from the evidence which amounted to a prima-facie case being made out to call upon McLean to answer to the charge of murder.

Mohammed named WPCs Delisa Wilson and Seraline Gordon as two witnesses McLean will call on her behalf.

Antoine ordered that she stand trial at the next sitting of the assizes.