Gilkes sentenced to 7 years for manslaughter

By the time she finishes serving her prison sentence she would be 30 years old, but the memories of September 30, 2006 would live on.{{more}}

Last Friday at the sitting of the Criminal Assizes at the High Court, Kelly Ann Gilkes, 23, of Sion Hill was sentenced to seven years behind bars after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

As she walked back to her seat slowly, the tears came streaming down followed by a loud cry that made everyone in the courtroom stare.

Gilkes was arrested and charged with causing the death of her aunt Merle Charles, 42, of the same address on September 30 last year following a dispute between the two.

At the Preliminary Inquiry stage the court heard that Gilkes’ aunt, Merle Charles had owed her eight dollars and did not want to pay her back.

Gilkes went to Kingstown that morning and when she returned, asked for her money. The aunt, who is said to have been intoxicated at the time, refused to give Gilkes her money and said she would give the money to her children instead. A quarrel ensued between both women, whereupon Charles held on to Gilkes but she pulled away. Moments later, Charles took a tomato ketchup bottle and hit Gilkes in her head.

Charles ran into the house and Gilkes followed her. By the time she got in the house Charles had armed herself with a knife and was swinging it at Gilkes who received injuries to her hand. In trying to protect herself, Gilkes picked up a another knife and ran behind her aunt who had fled to a bedroom. It is while in there that Charles received the fatal stab to the left side of her chest.

The Social Inquiry report presented by Cammie Matthews, stated that Gilkes was a good prospect for rehabilitation and was truly sorry for her actions. Matthews said that the child of the deceased said that she had been angry at Kelly Ann but that feeling had subsided over time and that she is willing to forgive her.

Lawyer for the accused Bertram Stapleton said that his client acted in self-defence.

Stapleton said his client suffered tremendous psychological damage while in prison, and even went to the mental asylum for observation.

Justice Frederick Bruce Lyle in summing up his case, said that it was clear that her aunt was the attacker in the matter and that the sad thing was that a life was lost. It was his view that Gilkes could have exercised better judgment, as she was the one who went into the bedroom behind her aunt. “There is a prevalence in this country where people allow their anger to get the best of them resulting in loss of life.”