By Stephanie Elliott, Gleaner WriterMAY PEN, Clarendon:
SHERLY MARX, 38, has been found guilty of perverting the course of justice and was sentenced in the May Pen Resident Magistrate's Court on February 23 to a fine of $150,000 or three months in prison.
Before passing sentence, the Resident Magistrate told Ms. Marx that she had given the police a false statement, which resulted in the firearm of the man she accused being seized.
Ms. Marx, operations manager employed to the Bank of Nova Scotia in Clarendon, had accused politician Anthony O'Connor, councillor for the Kellits division, of pulling a firearm on her, but subsequently changed her story.
She was convicted in early February.
The judge added that despite the conviction, a probation report shows that Ms. Marx had again changed her statement.
Her attorney, Jack Hines, in asking the Resident Magistrate for leniency, said that the statement given by Ms. Marx to the probation officer was the actual account of what occurred.
He pointed out that she was not aware of the repercussions of her statement.
The case garnered public attention last year after Ms. Marx complained to the police that Councillor O'Connor had pulled his firearm on her during a dispute between them.
The police seized the politician's firearm as a result and commenced investigations.
During the probe, Ms. Marx changed her statement, clearing Mr. O'Connor. She was later arrested and charged with perverting the course of justice.
Despite arguments by her attorney that Miss Marx had admitted to misleading the police with her second statement, she was found guilty of the charge.
Her attorney subsequently informed the court that the first statement given by Miss Marx was in fact correct and only changed her statement after she and Mr. O'Connor had reportedly reunited and discussed the matter.
Sentencing at the time was postponed to February 23 to allow for a complete report from the probation officer assigned to Miss Marx.
