BELIZE CITY, Mon. July 16, 2018– Shoshana Moody, 32, an employee of Choice Bank, was fined $5,000 by Madam Justice Marilyn Williams on Friday, July 13, after she pleaded guilty to manslaughter by negligence for the death of Chinese businessman, Liang Sheng Chen, who was knocked down by a silver SUV driven by Moody around 6:27 a.m. on August 11, 2012.
Moody was also ordered to pay $10,000 in compensation to Chen’s estate. She was given until January 1, 2019, to pay both the fine and compensation. If she defaults on payment of the fine, she will serve a sentence of 6 months imprisonment. Failure to pay the compensation will result in a case of distress.
Before she decided on the sentence, Justice Williams heard pleas for mitigation from former Accountant General Beatrice Robateau; Dwayne Moody, Shoshana’s brother; her attorney, Bryan Neal; and Moody herself.
Moody had also been charged with driving a motor vehicle without due care and attention, driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol above the prescribed limit and causing death by careless conduct.
However, those charges were withdrawn after her guilty plea was accepted.
Chen was walking on the shoulder of the road near Haulover Creek Bridge when the SUV approached, speeding, on the wrong side of the road, from the direction of Belize City.
Chen was flung into the air on impact and landed on the ground. His skull was crushed, and he suffered extensive brain damage as a result of the force of the landing. A post-mortem examination revealed that he died from trauma shock due to massive organ damage and multiple traumatisms due to the road accident.
After hitting Chen, the SUV collided with an oncoming vehicle, in which three persons were traveling. They were not seriously injured.
The SUV then spun around and came to a stop, facing the direction of Belize City.
The Crown was represented by Senior Crown Counsel Sheneiza Smith.