Two parents were found guilty of killing their baby daughter yesterday in a unanimous Supreme Court jury decision. The court fell silent as the verdicts were read - separately - convicting Dr. Amenemhat Waset Amen-Ra Tamerry, 48, and his wife Maatkai Hatsheput Tamerry, 36, of manslaughter.
The couple were formerly known as Dr. Clark Godwin and Regina Woods but had their names legally changed. Both parents showed no initial reaction to the verdicts, which could send them to prison for life.The father remained stoic throughout the trial while the mother often fell victim to her emotions in court - breaking into tears and even leaving the proceedings when they became too graphic in illustrating the illnesses which killed her child, ten-month-old A'Maya.
While initially appearing dazed by the verdict, the mother later broke down in the courtroom and had to be helped away with her husband's support. A ten-woman, two-man jury convicted the Tamerrys after four hours and 35 minutes of deliberation they were remanded in custody until mention on August 2, when social and psychological reports are expected to be completed.
Over the course of the trial, the jury heard A'Maya was severely malnourished throughout much of her short life and that the parents had been warned by medical professionals that her health was in danger.
The medical evidence was often disturbing and Mrs. Tamerry even left the courtroom for the bulk of the testimony from forensic pathologist Dr. John Obafunwa.
While normally reserved, her husband launched a verbal attack on Director of Public Prosecutions Kalundra Ratneser on Monday when autopsy pictures of the baby were shown to a witness - his sister-in-law - which upset her to the point she almost fainted in the witness box.
"This is wrong, wrong," he said after the jury left the room to allow the witness to compose herself. ?I am going to get you?, he said to Mr. Ratneser. Mr. Ratneser made an application to have Tamerry's bail revoked but defence lawyer Mark Pettingill argued he had misheard the defendant.
The Tamerrys apologised to Mr. Ratneser and the court, and Chief Justice Richard Ground elected not to act on the outburst saying: ?I recognise emotions run high in this case.?
