Life imprisonment for killing wife

Rudolph Lewis will have a lifetime to reflect on the fact that he killed his common law wife.{{more}}

Lewis, who was convicted on May 18, 2009 for the murder of Marcia Agatha Quammie of Questelles on March 22, 2008, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday, July 10, 2009, at the High Court in Kingstown by Justice Frederick Bruce Lyle.

Lewis stabbed Quammie to death at their home in Questelles because he felt that she was cheating on him. Lewis had concocted a story in order to get Quammie to leave her sister’s home in Evesham and come back to Questelles. He said he went to Evesham and told Quammie that something had happened to one of their two children and that the doctor needed her to come to the hospital. Instead of going to the hospital, Lewis took Quammie home, stating that the child needed clothes.

Probation Officer Camille McIntosh of the Family Affairs Division said in her the Social Inquiry Report that Lewis wholly believed that Quammie was unfaithful and that he had received numerous reports from members of the community that she was cheating on him, although he had never caught her in the act. He asserted that he never intended to cause Quammie’s death and that he was provoked to commit the incident. McIntosh reported that Lewis said Quammie was “soft headed” and he knew that she liked to beg and often took things from people.

His one regret throughout the relationship was that Quammie never said she loved him. “I just wanted her to tell me once that she loved me,” he said. In the interview with McIntosh, Lewis noted that he misses the deceased and wanted to give her a second chance.

Meanwhile, interviews done with persons in the Questelles community pointed to Lewis as being of good character and a soft-spoken person who was always on the go. The report also indicated that since his incarceration, Lewis has developed a closer relationship with God and would like to return to civil society. He is currently learning Math, English and Social Studies in an education program offered in jail.

In her conclusion, McIntosh said Lewis expressed little sadness about the memories surrounding the incident. She added that the prospect for rehabilitation and reform seems remote.

Attorney Grant Connell represented the accused in the matter, while Director of Public Prosecutions, Colin Williams led the crown’s case.(KW)