20 years jail for woman who killed 8-Y-0 son with bed sheet

Thirty-one-year-old Sonya King was on Tuesday sentenced to 20-years jail by Justice Navindra Singh for killing her eight-year-old son in 2016 by suffocating him with a bedsheet.

King was initially charged with murder but opted to plea to the lesser count of manslaughter when the matter was called at the Georgetown High Court.

In June, King admitted that on February 21, 2016, while at La Parfaite Harmonie West Bank Demerara, she killed her son, Emmanuel King.

“I’m sorry for my action, please give me a second chance… it’s hurting me, I don’t know what really happen to me,” King said during her address to the court.

Justice Singh, in response, told King, “You can say sorry all you want, this is your son.” 

She was represented by Attorney-at-law Mark Conway while State Counsel Teriq Mohamed, Tuanna Hardy and Sarah Martin appeared for the Prosecution.

Attorney Conway told the court that King receives psychiatric care and attends sewing classes.

King and her eight-year-old son were at their La Parfaite Harmonie home when she placed a bedsheet over the child’s face and suffocated him.

In a caution statement, the woman had confessed to the crime and had told Police, “Ah just hold him down, meh son was kicking up with his foot. Ah hold down the sheet there until he stop moving and then I go and call Robert [King’s reputed husband and the child’s stepfather) and tell he I kill Emmanuel.”

At the time of the crime, King was eight months pregnant.