Woman found not guilty of Clonbrook murder

Brinetta Browne, the woman accused of killing Sheriff Balmacoon at Clonbrook, East Coast Demerara in 2011, was acquitted of the murder on Wednesday by Justice Brassington Reynolds.

Browne was found not guilty of murder by a 12-member jury in the High Court. It was alleged that Browne, who was a vagrant at that time, slashed Balmacoon’s throat while he was making his way home in a drunken state around 9:20pm on September 24, 2011.

Leading her defence in the court, Browne said she had been under a shed at the roadside when Balmacoon started to provoke her and throw bricks at her. She said the knife she was using to warn him had caused his demise. She stated that he ran into the knife.

A post-mortem examination performed on Balmacoon’s body by Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh revealed the cause of death as haemorrhage and shock due to a stab wound. Browne was represented by attorney George Thomas while Teshana Lake presented the State’s case. Five witnesses were called to testify in the trial.