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WILLAND MITCHELL, who is accused of stabbing his ex-wife to death at her workplace in San Fernando in 2010, has elected to testify at his trial.
The election was put to Mitchell after the close of the prosecution’s case on Thursday and after the statements of his two sons, Seth and Shaydon, were read into evidence by the judge. The boys were 11 and ten when their mother, Sabrina Lalla-Mitchell, was killed, and witnessed the stabbing.
Their statements were read into evidence as formal admissions in the State’s case against their father.
Mitchell is before a San Fernando jury charged with his ex-wife’s murder on October 26, 2010, at Bavarian Motors on Todd Street, San Fernando.
Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds is presiding over the trial, which is taking place at the O’Meara Judicial Centre in Arima.
The judge, jurors, attorneys for the State and defence, and Mitchell are at the Arima court facility. A link to the hearing has been provided for the public to view the trial and Mitchell has been given permission to sit close to his attorneys in the courtroom.
In their statements, both boys said their father picked them up from school and took them to their mother’s workplace. Seth said when they got there, his father told him to call his mother. She went outside and he saw them talking before they came inside the showroom.
He said he heard her scream and saw her on the ground while trying to pull away his father. Seth said he asked his father why he was “doing this” and also told him if he wasn’t a bad husband he would not be in that situation today.
Seth’s statement said his father threatened to stab anyone who intervened before stabbing his mother again and using the knife to cut himself.
Shaydon’s statement said he heard his father tell his mother he was coming to spend the night but the mother said, “No.” He said he saw his mother on the floor, heard her scream and saw his father stab her. He also said he heard his father say, “Two ah we going to die today.”
He, too, spoke of seeing his father cut his wrist and stab himself in the stomach before turning the knife back on his mother. He said their father pushed Seth away, got into his car, and threw the knife into the back seat before driving off.
One of Lalla-Mitchell’s co-workers said he saw when the estranged couple entered the showroom and heard when she screamed. He said he saw Mitchell stab her and heard him talk about reconciling while making threats: “You and me going down.”
He also spoke of the couple’s son’s pleas to his father.
Lalla-Mitchell was stabbed multiple times, two of which were fatal, an autopsy report tendered into evidence on Thursday said. She suffered massive blood loss and also had defensive wounds. Medical certificates prepared by the doctor at the casualty department of the San Fernando for Lalla-Mitchell and her ex-husband were also tendered into evidence.
It recorded that Lalla-Mitchell had ten wounds, one to the heart and one leaving her bowels exposed.
Mitchell’s certificate said his injuries were wounds to the abdomen and wrists.
On Wednesday, when the taking of evidence began, jurors were shown closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of Lalla-Mitchell, 34, being stabbed in the car dealership’s showroom.
They were also shown photographs of the bloody crime scene taken by a police photographer.
Almost all of the evidence at the trial was in the form of formal admissions, except for that given by Cpl Roger Reid, who charged Mitchell and was present when he gave police two statements.
Reid was questioned by Mitchell’s attorney, public defender Stephen Wilson, on Thursday about an alleged utterance his client made about “problems” he and his ex-wife were having. Reid was asked if he made a note of the utterance and whether he asked Mitchell what he meant by it.
On Wednesday, the written testimony from Lalla-Mitchell’s other co-workers, who also spoke of seeing her ex-husband drop off their two sons and them speaking in the showroom before they heard screaming and saw her being stabbed, was read to the jury.
The dead woman’s brother and father’s statements were also read out to the jury.
The trial continues on Tuesday.
Mitchell is represented by public defenders Stephen Wilson and Tamika Peters. Stacy Laloo Chung and Rebecca Trim Wright are prosecuting.
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