Philipsburg:--- The brother of Angella Leblanc George who died from strangulation on April 22 2010 appeared in the court of first instance on Wednesday to answer to manslaughter charges. The prosecution demanded a 12 year prison sentence for the man they suspected of killing his sister based on a statement they received from an eyewitness who claimed to have seen when the suspect Riviere George (38) strangled his sister by grabbing her by the throat in her Sucker Garden home. According to the prosecution, the statement from the eyewitness is consistent with the autopsy report presented in court.Prosecutor Rienk Mud found that manslaughter has been proven and asked that the suspect be sentenced to 12 years. The suspect claims he is innocent as he was very close with his sister and that he never fought with her during his entire life. However, Mud said it appeared that the suspect had a gambling habit and he also appeared to have some debts. Mud said Angella Leblanc had withdrawn $1000.00 from the bank that day and based on phone records the suspect was not truthful as to his whereabouts on the ill-fated day when his sister was killed.
Attorney at law Shaira Bommel pleaded with the court to acquit her client claiming that the witness's statements were contradictory and therefore not reliably. Bommel dismissed the prosecution's argument that money had been the motive for the killing. However, the prosecution claimed that the suspect was well aware that his sister had withdrawn $1000.00 from the bank that day and since the suspect is a gambling addict with money problems he killed his sister. Bommel also asked the judge to disqualify the DNA evidence provided to the court which showed the victim's blood was on the suspect's jeans. Bommel said the blood found on her client jeans could be her client's own blood because brothers and sisters sometimes have similar DNA patterns. Judge Monique Keppels will pronounce her decision on February 9th.
