Teacher cleared of murder

Christopher Thomas, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Maxine Tugwell-Brown walked away from the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court a free woman on Friday after a 12-member jury found her not guilty of murder.

Thirty-eight-year-old Tugwell-Brown was charged with murder in 2009 after her husband was killed in a domestic incident at their home in John's Hall, St James.

Following the verdict, Tugwell-Brown wept openly in court and, after initially being patted on the shoulder by defence attorney Trevor Ho Lyn, she was warmly embraced on the outside by her in-laws. Tugwell-Brown, who was acting vice-principal at the John's Hall All-Age School at the time of the incident, reportedly used a knife to inflict a stab wound on her husband, 46-year-old Junior Brown, during the dispute.

Brown, who was rushed to hospital by neighbours, died from a punctured and partially collapsed lung and internal bleeding as a result of the stab wound.

The verdict was handed down following two days of testimony from five prosecution witnesses. The witnesses included the investigating officer and the post-mortem medical examiner, and one character witness for the defence.

Attacked by husband

Tugwell-Brown, with voice trembling at one point, also gave testimony from the prisoner's dock. She told the jury that on the day of her husband's death, she had taken her children on a family excursion from which they returned late in the evening. She said she was preparing tea for one of the children when Brown attacked her.

"On returning from the kitchen, I was approached by my husband in the dining hall; he grabbed my throat and asked where I was, why I was coming in at this hour," she recounted.

"I was forcefully pushed to the bed and punches were inflicted to the upper part of my body. He (Brown) shouted, 'Is dis you dissing man'," she continued. "I ran through the kitchen in fear for my life. I picked up a knife that was on the kitchen counter, and I ran outside to the darkly lit area of the yard."

She also recounted how Brown had come towards her hiding place in the yard, and that she moved towards him and used the knife to stab him in a bid to escape.

Later, after Brown was taken to hospital by neighbours, she, too, went to the hospital to find out what had happened to him. She said that on her arrival, she was advised to wait outside, only for a doctor to inform her shortly afterwards that Brown had died.

"She (doctor) asked me if I had anybody I wanted to call. I told her 'yes', so I went to the car where I got my phone," said an emotional Tugwell-Brown, adding that she promptly called her mother-in-law and other relatives to inform them of what had taken place.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com