Woman gets 95 months for killing lover
(CNS): Olga Elizabeth Smith (37) was sentenced to seven years and eleven months in jail by Justice Cheryll Richards on Wednesday for killing Marvin Xavier Conolly-Armendarez (27) in March last year. Smith had pleaded guilty in October to manslaughter due to provocation after she stabbed her lover, the father of her new baby, during yet another fight between the couple who were locked in a three-year “toxic relationship”.
Justice Richards described the case as tragic for the families of both the victim and the defendant, as she set out the grounds for the jail term. The judge regarded the build up of provocation as significant, if not extreme, as during the couple’s time together there had been 16 police reports of abuse against Smith.
During the course of the investigation into the killing, family and friends of both Conolly and Smith had said that the couple fought all the time and that they should have split up. But they did not, and instead became locked in evermore abusive circumstances. This led to the fatal night when, returning home drunk from a local North Side bar, the couple continued fighting and Conolly reportedly headbutted Smith. At some point during the night, Smith, who had just discovered she was pregnant, stabbed her baby’s father in the neck.
Smith had initially tried to convince the authorities that Conolly had taken his own life but it became very clear from early medical evidence that the wound could not have been self-inflicted and Smith eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter as a result of provocation. According to medical reports, Smith is believed to be suffering from PTSD in the wake of the fatal night and has never been able to give a full recollection of events. The court also heard that just a few weeks before the night she killed Conolly, Smith had been treated at the hospital for what appeared to be an attempt on her own life.
Smith, who is leaving a five-month-old daughter to be cared for by her family, was remanded in custody following an emotional farewell with her parents. During the delivery of the ruling to a packed courtroom, Conolly’s friends and family wept as Justice Richards outlined the reasons for her sentence.
She had started with a 12-year jail term, which she increased because of Smith’s early lies to police about Conolly death. But the the sentence was reduced because of a multitude of mitigating factors, and with a 25% discount for Smith’s guilty plea, the judge arrived at the 95-month sentence. This will also be reduced by a few more months to account for the time she has already spent in jail on remand and some partial credit for the time she served under 24-hour curfew at home after she was bailed because of her pregnancy and later caring for the new baby.
Justice Richards said she accepted that there was provocation in this case, not just on the day and night in question but a build up over the three years, reflected by the long list of police reports and call-outs to the couple’s home. This accounted for the reduction to the original twelve-year term.
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I’m appalled at all the comments defending the husband.
In no way am I defending the woman’s actions – she deserves her punishment. But there is a profound lack of understanding of the trauma of domestic violence.
Until this changes and people get educated… Men will beat women and it will be overlooked.
This is some quality garbage right here.
The police were called 16 times because SHE kept assaulting HIM, and now SHE has killed HIM.
At least read the article before you start crusading in comments.
He could have been a complete A-hole but the only evidence presented points to her being the monster in this case.
Yup. I did read it. I have the same opinion!!!
Go ahead and try to defend your defense for the husband, we know your preference.
Oh please spare us this woman tried to hurt him more than once and I understand assaulted her husband several times too. Yes quite a vicious character that we obviously do not need here in Cayman. Please Deport her as soon as her sentence is complete.She is a serial abuser herself. And a real menace to society. Good Riddance !
People can’t read or what! The 16 police reports were against the mother.
She was the abuser.
She was the killer.
She will be amongst us again in less than 7 years.
Is there any reason a male or female who behaves like this should not be sterilized?
So you can get 10+ years for having cannabis plant when you terminally ill about to die.
But if your lover is crazy for 3 years(3 years is nothing when it comes to a relationship) and turns on you it’s ok as long as it’s justifiable.
People get more time in accidents taking another life.
It’s ok to get angry, but it’s not ok to get angry and kill.
Stab any other part of the body, not the neck.
She will be out in 3-5 years for taking a life.
Yeah now show Cayman you can kill someone and just get 5 years.
My House loans are 30 years, car loans are 5 years.
Taking another human life is priceless.
Cayman is so sick, with zero empathy.
Baffling honestly.
You have an example of 10 years for a ganja plant, or just full of shit?
This is defendant should be deported after she serves her sentence if she is not from here. if she is such a victim why all the lies and from the story it appears that after the murder somethings went on at the scene. Her court antics and history of abusive and violent behaviour is very troubling. There is no doubt more to this story than some want revealed about this very manipulative 37 yr old defendant. She is not the type of person we need here in this community. But yet she is very well Supported in every corner it would appear. Murder has two elements Malice and intent both are present here but yet Manslaughter after 16 reports Wow! Do we even know what her status is here never heard what it is once in this entire matter which struck me is very odd indeed. Well I hope she serves sometime for this terrible crime because the previous defendant Brianna Watler May have got less time but she sure did not get the kind breaks this Olga Smith has been given.
Because her immigration status is the most important part of this right? You seem dreadfully fixated on it rather than the relevant facts. Look forward to your explanation as to how she somehow got a softer sentence than Ms May when she ended up with more prison time as well. Immigration based as well perhaps?
That poor baby girl. My heart breaks for her. She is the innocent party to this destructive behaviour. Her mother KNEW she was pregnant with her yet was out getting drunk and then killed her father. What an awful start in life. I hope the family that’s going to be raising her will love and cherish her.
A history of abuse and reports against the husband does not amount to a history of the husband abusing the woman. She could have left, but instead chose to remain. Maybe she felt trapped. However, they were both out together and returned drunk. Where were the young children while both parents were out getting drunk? Sounds like she was contributing to the problem. The judge had a hard task determining sentence here and I am sure she had a report on the lifestyle and lots of evidence. It is very sad that the children were exposed to this and now have no parents; both are gone but under very toxic circumstances. I hope the children get the support they need so they do not end up in the same situation. But given the history of Cayman, I doubt it very much. This happened before, almost the same situation except the mother died, with young children’s lives crippled and turned into criminals. Tradjedy, all around.
She could have left. Rick, you prove time and time again that you don’t get it. Male Karen’s are called Rick from now on.
It says the reports were against the woman.
If this was a man killing a women it would be 40 years
Not if – like here – it came at the end of years of physical abuse.
Facts
What if it was a black man killing a white woman though?
Victim hood has moved on to entirely hypothetical scenarios and assumed outcomes. You are trying to make colour an issue in a case where it simply doesn’t apply, by suggesting the outcome would be different if it did ? SMH.
You are entirely correct, but notice the likes and dislikes. Not a very enlightened/educated society huh!
People here don’t same to understand Smith is the woman and Conolly is the name of the decease man. 16 plus reports against Smith. Sounds like the woman was the abuser not the man.
Because she is not a Conolly? Got it.
Maybe YOU are misreading the statement! 16 reports of abuse against Smith. Does this mean she was abusing him; or was he abusing her? Not clear from the article and this is important. Don’t assume until you know the facts.
He was killing her… Slowly; physically, emotionally. But after all the reports, no REAL help was afforded or accepted (This we do not know of).
Sadly, this circumstance is all too common and accepted by our society. But for the fact that she finally broke and attacked him (I’m not condoning that, it’s just a fact), it is now public knowledge.
So Cayman electorate……… Why would you re-elect Mr Bush to public office with all the salary, benefits and perks given to a public official?? The facts are well known, but OUR society put on blinders to his actions. The two actions are not the same I fully acknowledge, but the fact that we judge women who endure abuse more harshly than men who commit abuse is obvious – any denial of this is a lie.
if police has to be called to someones home so many times, would they not intervene and give some sort of assistance in the matter?
Police was called to their home 16+ times, what about all the other times that police was not called.
Domestic Violence in this island is high some go unaccounted for and some you don’t even know because not much people speak about the matter for not getting judged at.
if you are in such a toxic relationship it must take common sense to know that it will not end good after so many times.
why stay and continue to take shit.
a life was lost
a woman had enough and flipped and now her unborn child is being raised without the mom.
men and women need to stop provoking one another to the point of no return.
where was social services or family services? no one thought it would end like this ?
You can’t force a grown woman to leave her boyfriend or to press charges.
Bizarre that you would assume social services not involved.
Bizarre that you hint that social services WERE afforded. Obviously you do not live in Cayman. This is not a country that protects it’s women.
Keep your head up Olga.
And knives up to right
Wow 11 people thinks her lying and her behaviour is justified and at least one idiot believes she is probably a victim even though 16 reports and numerous rumours swirl about a couple of violent incidents involving her. Keep your head down in shame Olga Smith cause you almost got away with murder!
Wow, people like you deny that she was a victim.
She certainly should be punished for her crime, but you clearly do not know anything of the trauma from domestic violence and the psychological impact.
Yea, it’s folks like you that re-elected an admitted (briefly) woman-beater.
Tragic. She has lost the father and their child who she won’t nurture for the first 3+ years of her life. There was evidently a lot of provocation, but it’s a shame she panicked and lied about the stabbing.
She hasn’t lost the father – she killed him. He may have deserved it but you make it sound like he was the victim of a third party accident or act of God.
I am sure she would be a very “nurturing” mother too. Give me a break.
“The judge regarded the build up of provocation as significant, if not extreme, as during the couple’s time together there had been 16 police reports of abuse against Smith.”
If 5+ abuse reports by the same individual per year is not extreme, I don’t know what is. She was clearly crying out for help. I would be interested to know what steps were taken by social services to try to prevent this all too familiar outcome? Tragedy all around.
Just because the man doesn’t call Police doesn’t mean he’s not abused too. Women get away with killing many times because of this as men are ashamed to call. The smirk on her face yesterday says it all.
11:48 She is a grown woman. What do you think social services could go? Take her away from him?
And steps taken by her? like leaving? I know sometimes economics make that difficult, but surely there is a difference between being trapped in a relationship and one in which you apparently go out socializing and getting drunk together – even though you know you are pregnant- before having yet another fight? So it’s all social services fault, right.
Social services do nothing here. They don’t care about politicians battering women and they don’t care about child abuse. They don’t care here. It’s all too convenient to try and deny a loving relationship but support disgusting heteros.
11:48 She was the same one moving him back into the house every time he left the home. She would not let him go and would be a complete psycho if another woman even glanced his way. Always ready to fight his long friends because they were female. She has been unstable and abusive for a long time. Do not forget this is a woman who is MARRIED but yet had this long blown affair with Marvin…then murdered him. Tf..it is wild that people are out here eating up her lies. She was abusive to Marvin all the time, he may not have been an angel but she was no hail mary.
Sad
Not really
Nothing sad about this case, she CHOSE to continue in a demonic relationship. It’s all about the choices we make. .. She is just learning a hard lesson. We all have to learn lessons. It depends on how quick we learn.
Nothing said about death? Nothing sad about a child without a father? Nothing sad about separating a child from its mother?
You have a strangely amoral outlook.
The child is better off without the mother. Sad, but true.
It is sad, but not everything should makes you sad! You sound like someone who would be the first to let her off scotch free. I wouldn’t want you for my judge to see to the carriage Justice!
You do the crime, you must pay. Deliberate murder is one crime, I feel, needs the death penalty. Any prisoner that has deliberately murdered someone, should not be able to brag about the crime they did to other prisoners.
Just to clarify, a man being stabbed to death and a new mother going to jail isn’t sad?
Not in the least.
Sad for the kid.
In this instance, no. Consider the facts and the lifestyle of the people involved. Get over yourselves….when you lot growup you will realise there are consequences for the way you live.
Getting drunk while pregnant, knowingly. Hitting each other to the point of no return because you lack the life skills to have verbal exchanges in a civilised manner!
Two wrongs don’t make a right. Both are and were wrong over and over in this situation. One or both was/were bound to DIE. Being realistic is a good thing. Being honest is a virtue!
Don’t ever try to put others down just because you can’t handle the truth.
Growup and accept responsibility.
You choose who you want to be with…stop blaming society for not fixing you or your personal problems.