‘Toxic’ relationship led woman to kill
(CNS): Olga Elizabeth Smith (37) from North Side, who has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 27-year-old Marvin Xavier Conolly Armendarez last year in March, expressed her deep remorse through her attorney when she appeared in court Thursday to be sentenced for killing her lover and the father of her child. Smith’s lawyer, Charles Miskin QC, told the court that his client was “in a toxic relationship that she should have left” before it was too late. But instead she had stayed and endured fight after fight with him, which was supported by long police and hospital records. The court heard that on the fateful night Smith snapped and stabbed Conolly Armendarez in the neck, severing an artery.
Smith had recently discovered she was pregnant when the couple had yet another fight on 16 March, just before Cayman was locked down due to the pandemic, during which Conolly Armendarez had punched Smith in the head. After returning home that same night from a local bar and while she was preparing food, the couple fought again. Smith has admitted that, at some point during the early hours of the next morning, she used a kitchen knife during the brawl and killed her lover, though she has said she has very little memory of the incident.
Although Smith has never given a full account of what happened, having at first denied murder charges and claimed Conolly Armendarez had taken his own life, the police record showed that on arrival they had seen smashed up furniture and household items all around the home, indicating that the couple had been engaged in a physical altercation, as well as the remains of a partially prepared meal. She later pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of provocation.
Smith has no previous convictions. She owned the home where the couple were living in North Side and held a full-time job. She was described as having an exemplary character before this incident, though she had previously been in an abusive marriage before the relationship with Conolly Armendarez, which was equally exploitative and toxic.
Despite this, Smith had loved her abuser and during interviews with social workers stressed her deep regret that she had killed the father of her baby. She apologised to his family and said she was “horrified every day” by what she has done.
Arguing for a merciful sentence for his client, Miskin said that while this was not a case of self-defence, Smith had been provoked. He said there was no planning in what was a spontaneous reaction, a single stab wound some time after or during a violent struggle. He urged the judge to take into consideration the circumstances of the case and the evidence of long-term abuse.
Justice Cheryll Richards adjourned the case for her to consider the defendant’s fate. Smith, who had been placed on a monitoring tag and 24-hour home confinement as a result of her pregnancy rather than jail, has served more than 400 days on curfew. She was also remanded for a brief period earlier this year for her own safety after concerns emerged about her safety.
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Everyone commenting but no one wants to come forward ehh
This murdering sociopath and her drama clearly needs to be put away before she harms others but it would appear her support system are no less criminal than her? Their was a lot of players in this terrible situation after this tragic event who are just as culpable.
So I guess you gave the information you have to the police then. If you have details relating to the crime (which it appears that you do) and have not provided it to the authorities then you are every bit a culpable as the other players you mention.
And how do you know this, 8:34 am?
I’m sure neither of them were peaches but, unless someone is immediately threatening your life, you have other options than killing them.
It is so sad that Cayman society condones violence against women. MacKeeva is the largest elephant in the room. His re-election trumpeted the true Caymanian value system.
Cayman is pitiful.
I think that is a bit unfair – his re-election is the result of single member constituencies.
Hondurans
We have to stop using pregnancy and the fact that some people are female to go easy on violent criminals and to keep them from going to jail. This seems to be another failing by the DPP as there is no way that Olga Elizabeth Smith should have been allowed to plead guilty to manslaughter by reason of provocation. She is a violent criminal with a history of violent and abusive relationships and the judge should give her the maximum punishment allowed by law.
Amen! She is no victim. Just murderer who needs to to prison.
No, she has a history of being the VICTIM in violent and abusive relationships. You obviously haven’t even read the article.
No excuse for killing someone, get out of the relationship before it get to where that could happen, remember no one is chained and locked to another.
Try explaining to your child you killed their father as they grow up.
Jeez, what is happening in cayman.
Caymanian vs Honduran shit hole gangsta lovin
In this case she should be given a conditional discharge. She has suffered enough.
SHE has suffered enough?! You are a real fool.
Who has suffered is his family who have has their loved one taken away from them and his daughter who will never know her father because this crazed woman MURDERED him.
Listen, he was a terror long before this incident but was never confronted. Yes she was wrong with her actions, but he abused, used, and terrified her daily. Just another sad end to a relationship most likely caused by drugs and/or alcohol.
Terror to who exactly? Do tell.
You know what the common denominator is in both this relationship and her marriage…her. There is no way this woman should get off murdering this man. Regardless of how he may have also behaved, he was someone’s son, brother, friend, and overall someone’s loved one. If it was my family member I would want the person to serve time for taking their life. To me it’s worse that she birthed his child, how do you explain that later on? “Oh by the way I murdered your father taking away your opportunity to have one?” No. Not acceptable. I hope this judge has a backbone and sees through this nonesense
No sympathy for her. She has always been known as a notorious liar and is certainly far from innocent. He wasn’t an Angel but neither was she. She used to start many fights from her crazed drunkenness and jealousy.
If they give her a lenient sentence, Cayman has truly gone to the dogs.
There is never an acceptable excuse for abuse; regardless of what type or the gender of the abuser.
However, in this case, no excuse can be accepted for killing this person either.
You must serve enough time to pay for your action.
Hopefully you will never find yourself in any situation like this again upon your release from prison.
Please learn from your actions, continue to humbly ask for forgiveness from the family and later in life from your child.
Become a mentor to ensure that not one other person will experience what you have been through, and lastly take the time to ultimately ask God to forgive you. In during so, you may heal,no doubt, your troubled soul.
I think she has served enough time.
I think so as well at 4:44pm. I really think she has serve enough time. House arrest was enough, especially while pregnant. She puts him out of her car and he went home fighting her, and I am sure she never stabbed him with the intention to killed him. It is just an unfortunate situation.
Sad story.
Poor women. She obviously wasn’t raised in a loving home and the cycle continued. Please, parents, please don’t have children if you aren’t in a good relationship or if you aren’t able to handle the stress of bringing up a child. Please let’s stop this nonsense. You can get day after pills on island. Keep them on hand.
Seriously?
Very serious. You must be a shite parent to not understand this.
You must be a moron if you believe a crappy childhood condones her murdering someone else
Not “condones” but results in.
Did they condone it? Doesn’t seem so.
Well said. What I don’t understand is why is abortion illegal in cayman? This is 2021 and surely cayman wants to be a respected modern society?
What I don’t understand is why some adults can’t be responsible and wear a condom or take birth control pills to prevent getting pregnant if they are not ready to start a family. Abortions are not the answer! Maturity and being responsible is….now there’s a novel idea!
Uhh, a reality check would be abortions should be legal because your counsels of perfection are not realistic, we are human beings prone to error, your idea is not novel at all it is just wishful thinking
How much does a condom cost and how much does an abortion cost?
This 3rd world shit! I know Honduran women that wont allow condoms as a kid is a vehicle out of poverty and the man got to let it go inside so he feels he is a man.
Cayman hasn’t changed!