Attorney wants prosecutorial review of Clarendon wife-killing case, cites ‘partial defence’ for accused husband

The attorney for the Clarendon man charged with killing his wife and setting their house on fire has asked prosecutors to conduct a “thorough review” of the evidence in the case regarding a potential “partial defence” that could be a “live” issue at trial.

This is likely a reference to the defence of provocation, similar to the position taken by former lawmaker Jolyan Silvera in his murder case.

Odane Marston, the attorney for Anray Williams, also disclosed that a request for a review of the case file has been made in writing to Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Claudette Thompson.

The disclosures were made yesterday when Williams appeared in the Clarendon Circuit Court for a case management hearing.

Marston declined to comment further when contacted after the hearing.

The DPP acknowledged receiving the request but indicated that assessments of case files to determine how best to proceed are standard procedure.

“That’s what we are doing. It has nothing to do with a letter,” Thompson told The Gleaner yesterday.

“As ministers of justice, it is for us to view, review, assess and determine how best to proceed.”

Williams, who is a chef, is charged with murder and arson in connection with the death of his wife, Judian Guthrie-Williams, 33, on April 8 last year.

It is alleged that the man and his spouse got into a late-night dispute at their Frankfield home, during which he used a knife to cut her throat before setting the house on fire.

Both were rescued from the blaze by residents.

Silvera, a former People’s National Party Member of Parliament for St Mary Western, was initially charged with murder and using a firearm to commit a felony in relation to the November 2023 shooting death of his wife, Melissa Silvera, at their Stony Hill, St Andrew home.

However, he invoked the partial defence of provocation and instead pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

He admitted in a witness statement that he and his wife had an argument that escalated into a physical confrontation.

According to his account, Melissa Silvera blamed him for the death of their young son, hurled expletives at him, and made what he described as derogatory and provocative remarks about his family.

“During the argument, she made a comment about their children which he found to be the final straw, and at that point he lost control and discharged his weapon in her direction,” according to a quote from the statement, which was made public by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in February this year.

The ODPP explained in a public statement that it accepted the former MP’s guilty plea to manslaughter after concluding it could not disprove his claim that he was provoked into shooting his wife.

- Livern Barrett

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.