14 years for Rose Place man who chopped ex-girlfriend and suspected ‘sweet man’

A man who chopped his ex-girlfriend, and a man who he suspected she was having an affair with, was slapped with concurrent prison sentences on two counts of wounding.

When 45 year old Michael Thomas, appeared at the High Court #1 for sentencing on June 5, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison for wounding with intent. He also received a sentence of eight years incarceration on a charge of unlawful wounding.

The Rose Place resident who had entered a guilty plea, had already spent 10 months and 26 days on remand. He will therefore spend only 13 years, one month, and four days on the first count; while on the second count, Thomas will spend four years, one month, and four days behind bars. The sentences will run concurrently.

The unrepresented prisoner had nothing to say in his own defence before Justice Brian Cottle handed down the sentences on Monday.

The court heard that Thomas was in a visiting relationship with one of the complainants, Esther Crooke. That relationship lasted for nine months.

During this relationship there were regular incidents of domestic disputes where the prisoner would sometimes threaten to kill the complainant.

On December 3, 2021, there was another domestic dispute between them and she decided to end the relationship.

She packed his belongings and placed them in the verandah and asked him to leave her home.

Thomas failed to leave the premises and he slept on her porch for two nights.

On December 5, 2021, Crooke was attempting to leave her home to attend a funeral when the prisoner prevented her from closing her door and threatened to shed her blood.

She eventually left the home, and instructed her brother to lock the doors.

When she returned around 7:00 p.m, Thomas was still on the verandah. She later left to meet friends on the block .

Among those friends was Jeremiah Harry. Thomas also went to the block and accused Harry of being in an intimate relationship with Crooke.

He tried to hit Crooke, but persons who were present prevented him from doing so.

Thomas left and returned shortly afterwards, saying nothing but kept walking.

The woman remained socializing. After some time she asked Harry to take home her bag and collect some food from her brother on her behalf.

She became concerned when Harry failed to return.

It was then discovered that at her home Harry had encountered the prisoner who was wearing a mask, but was recognized by his build and voice.

Thomas had asked Harry what he was doing at Crooke’s home and if he was the ‘sweet man’ who telephones the woman.

Harry denied this but the prisoner struck him twice in his head. Harry ran from the yard pursued by Thomas who chopped Harry twice with a cutlass as he fled.

Thomas then returned to the block and struck Crooke twice with the cutlass as her back was turned.

The judge said that both Harry and Crooke sustained multiple, large lacerations. However, Harry had a very deep wound to his left wrist which needed to be surgically repaired.

After the incident, Thomas fled the country by boat, but returned sometime after and was found four months later hiding in a latrine as the police searched for him.

In keeping with the sentencing guidelines, the judge found that the consequences for wounding with intent fell into category two. This was because Harry had suffered multiple serious lacerations, and four of his wounds were inflicted as he was fleeing from Thomas. Cottle also said the injury to Harry’s wrist required surgery which he was unable to afford. As a result, he no longer has the full use of his left hand, and he was unable to work after the incident.

As for the seriousness, this fell into the highest category as the assault was prolonged, multiple blows were inflicted, and a weapon was used.

This brought the judge to a starting point of 18 years.

Assessing the aggravating factors of the offence he said the attack was unprovoked, and there is evidence that it was motivated by reasonable suspicion of infidelity.

There were no mitigating factors of the offence. Aggravating of Thomas was that he had several previous convictions, including wounding with a cutlass. There were also no mitigating factors for him as an offender.

After the factors were weighed, Thomas’s sentence was increased to 21 years.

However, having pleaded guilty, he was afforded a one-third discount taking the sentence to 14 years.

On the unlawful wounding charge which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years, his sentence was reduced from eight years to five years due to his guilty plea.

Counsel Kaylia Toney appeared for the crown.