PHILIPSBURG--The Court of First Instance sentenced a twenty-year-old man to fourteen years in prison as he was found guilty of manslaughter of a two-year-old toddler and of the attempted manslaughter of three other persons who were injured.
The child was run over by a white Kia Picanto driven into a group of persons who were outside a house on Passion Fruit Road in Retreat Estate on January 13.
The child died on the spot and three injured persons were transported to St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) for injuries sustained during the incident.
The driver of the car, Jamali Naseem Rowendie Hodge, stood trial on murder and manslaughter charges, for which the Prosecutor had asked for an 18-year prison sentence during a Court hearing on June 19.
After an altercation with one of the youngsters in the group, Hodge drove his vehicle into the group of young men who were at the entrance gate to a home. Included in this group was the two-year-old
The Court awarded US $7,400 in financial compensation to the victims. The defendant immediately filed for appeal.
