WHEN SHE FIRST APPEARED in court, the pregnant woman who stabbed a 12-year-old boy three times seemed to show little to no remorse for her actions. However, after spending one week in prison pending her sentence, Noella Soso, a mother of four, broke down in tears when she reappeared in the Kingstown Magistrate Court for sentencing on Wednesday, January 18 and was placed on a bond.

The 27 year old Penniston resident made her first ever appearance in court on January 11, where she pleaded guilty to a charge that on January 3, at Penniston she did unlawfully and maliciously wound Daeshawn Delpesche of Penniston.

Senior Magistrate, Rickie Burnett remanded the defendant in custody for one week before she was sentenced. She was told to reflect on what she had done during that one week period as she appeared to have shown little remorse for her actions when she made her first appearance.

When Soso returned to court on Wednesday she was bonded for one year in the sum of $2000.00; the default punishment is six months in prison.

Both parties, including the defendant and her five year old son, as well as the 12 year old virtual complainant and his mother were also ordered to undergo counselling.

When Soso made her first appearance, the court had heard that on January 3, Soso’s five year old son and his 12 year old neighbour were involved in an incident while playing cricket with other children and the younger child was injured by the older boy with a knife.

Burnett told the defendant that he can understand that she was angry because her child was stabbed, but she cannot arm herself and take matters into her own hands. “No matter how angry you are you have to remember that they are children,” he said.

The senior magistrate also noted that something seems to be going on between the two boys, as the defendant stated that she has always had a problem with the two children.

Burnett said “In my time, when I was young, there was nothing called bullying but all of a sudden what was normal in my time is no longer accepted by the modern society that we have.”

The defendant broke down in tears and told the court that her five year old son and the victim are both children and even if she warns her son and tells him not to play with the victim,Daeshawn, they will always end up playing again as they are neighbours. She also said that she had warned the victim several times that he should not be playing with knives.

“I didn’t really want to get involved because when you finish talk to them, they gone back to play,” Soso said. However, she had noted that at the time of the incident she was frustrated.

Burnett invited a representative from the social services to the court hearing as he believed there needs to be some sort of intervention in the lives of both children.

The court also heard that there is a history of altercations between the defendant’s children and the virtual complainant. On one occasion one of Soso’s children

was stabbed by the complainant after the children of the defendant were beating him with a stick.

Daeshawn’s mother told the court that she always warns her son to stay away from others and she usually disciplines him in situations where he finds himself in trouble.

The magistrate asked, “what are they doing with knives, what are the parents doing wrong?”

Before handing down his sentence, Burnett took into account the defendants guilty plea; she has no previous convictions; she showed remorse at the second hearing; the injures inflicted to the victim appeared to be minor; and she is unemployed and has several children.

Soso was bonded for one year in the sum of $2000 or she will spend six months in prison. Both parties are also required to receive counselling at the child development division of the Ministry of National Mobilisation and if they fail to show up they will return to court.

The request for counselling came about from the conclusion that there is a need for good parental skills and conflict resolution between the two families, as well as help for both children.

According to the facts, the virtual complainant is a 12 year old boy. On January 3, at about 5:20 p.m he was playing cricket with some other children. While playing, the defendant’s five year old son took up some sand and threw it on the 12 year old, then he threw a knife he had in his hand at the complainant.

The 12 year old took the knife from the ground and threw it back at the defendant’s five year old son causing it to stab him in his hand.

Soso, who was at home, was informed and she went to the complainant’s yard where she met the 12 year old boy and pulled him around.

After this, she proceeded to stab the child to his left shoulder with a knife. She raised her hand to stab him in the area of his head, but he raised his hand and received the stab to his left hand. She also stabbed him on his right foot.

After she stabbed him three times, the defendant walked away leaving the 12 year old bleeding, and someone had to come to his assistance.