BELIZE CITY, Mon. Oct, 29, 2018– A fine of $2,000 was imposed on Dana Banner, 30, by Justice Colin Williams on Friday, October 26, when she appeared for sentencing for pleading guilty to causing death by careless conduct. She was given until February 1, 2019 to pay. If she defaults on payment she will serve 1 year in prison.
Banner was also ordered to pay $4,000 in compensation to the family of the baby, Vernice Rodriguez Gonzalez, 2 years and 9 months old. Banner was charged with manslaughter but on October 16, she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.
The incident occurred on May 18, 2008, at a house in Lords Bank. While Banner was babysitting the child, she beat her on her head with a blunt instrument. A post-mortem examination on the child’s body revealed that the baby died from head trauma as a result of a blow to her head by a blunt instrument.
Before he decided on the sentence, Justice Williams heard pleas for mitigation from Banner’s attorney, Leo Bradley, Jr., and Banner herself.
Banner first went to trial in 2012 before Justice Herbert Lord, but the trial was aborted because a juror became ill.
The Crown was represented at the sentencing by Crown Counsel Killeru Awich.