Spurned lover guilty of stabbing pregnant ex and new hubby
A jury of eight women and one man stepped into the deliberating room just before noon this morning to decide the fate of twenty-two year old Henry Patnett. He was accused of entering the home of his pregnant ex-common-law wife, Valerie Sheran and stabbing her multiple times then turning the knife on her new lover, seventy-three year old Ernesto Ireland. Valerie’s unborn child, who Patnett had fathered, died as a result of the violent incident. He was charged with attempted murder of Sheran, wounding of Ireland and child destruction in respect of the unborn child. This afternoon, the jury returned a verdict of guilty on all three counts and Patnett was sentenced to twelve years for attempted murder and child destruction to run concurrently plus an additional two years for wounding. Valerie was sleeping when she was attacked after two o’clock in the morning of August second, 2010. Police found blood stains on the wall and floor, a blood stained knife inside Valerie’s room and a machete in the yard. In an emotional testimony, Valerie said she tried to fight back, but was stabbed multiple times to her breast area, stomach and fingers. She told the court that Ireland threw himself in front of her and was also injured. Three doctors also testified. Doctor Marcelo Coyi testified that he treated Valerie five months prior to the stabbing and that she was ten weeks pregnant and had not shown signs of medical risks. Dr. Salvador Paguaga told the court that the unborn child who was about twenty-eight weeks, died due to the mother’s blood loss. But Doctor Mario Estradabran told the court that when he did a post mortem on the baby, he observed a two centimeter abrasion on the right dorsal foot and that the cause of death was undetermined since the baby girl died before extraction from the uterus. The trial of Patnett began on December third before Justice Adolph Lucas. The prosecutor in the case was Stevannie Duncan.
WOW!! Another Shakespearean/Belizean tragedy. Can someone tell the rest of the story. We know the who and what. but why?
This brings back memories. Many years ago I was in a semi relationship wit a woman in the St Ignatius area. We went to her downstairs for a liason and her ex, a well known weed smoker from Yabra showed up with a machete. He was lashing the machete at he door. I was nineteen or 20 then. I was scared. How did it end.. I dont remember, but I’m here to tell the story.
The sentence is far too short for this heinous crime. I can only hope he doesn’t survive prison — baby-killers should all die.
A fetus died as a result of this attack, had it not been for this circumstance this baby might have been delivered full term. How is this not murder, he is a cold blooded self centered fool, he did not care about the life of his own child. His sentence is just not long enough, the charge is a joke.
Our young women really need to learn how to love themsleves, she was pregnant for this fool obviously broke up with him not very long and was already witn another man who could be her grandfather almost. Our young women have to be taught how to love themselves and stop depending on a man for their help.
I am so sick at how little my people think of themselves, there is a total breakdown, morality is a foreign word that no one seems to remember in Belize especially the young people.
Right you are, Al.
Young people throw their lives away with immature and impulsive [not to mention immoral] choices — “if it feels good, do it!” — and then they will spend decades of misery as a result, until finally death brings them relief.
Getting pregnant is a life-changing event, so it should be planned, not an accident.