Court delivery man, Arthur Arnold, 55, charged with murder and attempted murder, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and use of deadly means of harm with intent to commit dangerous harm when he appeared this morning for trial in the court of Justice Adolph Lucas.
Justice Lucas deferred sentencing until Thursday, December 20, in order to give Arnold’s attorney, Linbert Willis, time to prepare a plea for mitigation.
Crown Counsel Tracy Sosa presented the prosecution.
The incident occurred between 7:00 and 7:30 p.m. on September 8, 2006.
The deceased, Jermaine Arnold, Arthur’s stepson, was at his house at #186 Neal Pen Road watching television with his mother, Carol Rogers Arnold, his sister, Amanda Arnold and Randolph Gibson, a friend of the family.
Arthur, whose work entailed using a cart to deliver goods for customers, came to the house, and there was an exchange of words between him and Gibson. As a result, Carol, his estranged wife, asked him to leave.
The accused complied with her request, but returned shortly afterwards and came to the front door of the house near where Gibson was sitting, and stabbed Gibson.
Gibson got up and stumbled into the living room. As he did so, Arnold attacked him again. This time Jermaine pushed himself between Arthur and Gibson to prevent Arthur from stabbing Gibson a second time.
Jermaine tried to hold Arthur’s hand, but in the process, Arthur stabbed him in the heart.
By this time, Gibson managed to run out of the house, and rode away on his bicycle.
Shortly afterwards Jermaine walked out of the house, and Carol said she heard someone from outside shout to her that her son was injured.
Jermaine was rushed to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, but succumbed to his injury 5 days later.
Dr. Mario Estradabran, who did the post-mortem, said the knife went 4.5 inches into the deceased’s heart, and concluded that he died from cardiac temporate syndrome due to stab wound to his heart.
Gibson, who was stabbed in the left side of his chest, survived. His injury was classified as dangerous harm.
About 8:00 p.m. on September 8, 2006, Arthur went to Queen Street Police Station with a knife which appeared to have bloodstains on it, and handed himself over to Constable Shaun Andrews, who handed him over to Constable Rene Cu.
Sergeant Francisco Pott then recorded a caution statement from Arthur in the presence of Justice of the Peace Eleanor Enriquez.
In the statement, Arthur admitted stabbing Jermaine and Gibson, but said he did not intend to stab Jermaine. He was indicted on charges of murder, attempted murder, dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm.
This morning those indictments were withdrawn, and new indictments were presented, which charged Arthur Arnold with manslaughter and use of deadly means of harm with intent to commit dangerous harm.
Reports say that jealousy was the motive for Arthur Arnold’s attack on Randolph Gibson.