By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 50-year-old Belize City woman has been remanded to prison on a manslaughter charge following the death of her common-law husband, who police say suffered a single wound to his arm with a broken pint bottle during an alleged domestic dispute.
Arlene Tanice Arnold, a housekeeper and mother of six, was arraigned Monday afternoon in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court for the death of 45-year-old Jeremy Clive “Tambran” Hendricks.
No plea was taken and Arnold was remanded to the Belize Central Prison pending a bail hearing scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Police say that at about 3:33 a.m. on Saturday, September 5, officers responded to the corner of New Road and Pickstock Street, where they found Hendricks lying in the street and bleeding profusely from his right arm.
He was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital but was pronounced dead at 4:44 a.m.
Investigators allege Hendricks and Arnold became involved in a physical altercation during which Arnold wounded him once to the right tricep with a broken pint bottle. Police indicated at Monday’s press briefing that the injury may have severed a major artery, causing the fatal blood loss.
Arnold was later located by police after her daughter reportedly contacted investigators and accompanied officers to an address in the Holy Emmanuel area of Belize City. She was initially detained pending a murder investigation, but after the case file was forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, police were directed to charge her with manslaughter.
At Monday’s arraignment, Arnold’s attorney, Gonzalez, urged the court to grant her bail, arguing that the fatal incident occurred against the backdrop of an abusive domestic relationship.
The attorney told the court that Arnold claims Hendricks had physically abused her in the past and that two previous reports had been made against him. He further claimed there was an active matter involving the couple before the Family Court.
According to the defence, Hendricks allegedly punched Arnold around the head and temple during Saturday morning’s altercation and attacked her with such force that her wig came off. Her attorney submitted that Arnold reacted while fearing for her life and said witnesses could corroborate the alleged abuse.
Those assertions differ from information given by police earlier Monday. ASP Stacy Smith said police had been advised by the Gender-Based Violence Response and Investigative Unit that there was no history of reported domestic violence cases between Arnold and Hendricks, although people living in the area told investigators that physical altercations between the couple were allegedly not uncommon.
The prosecution objected to Arnold being immediately released on bail, arguing among other things that the court should consider her safety in light of Hendricks’ death and noting that she allegedly left the scene following the incident.
The Senior Magistrate declined to grant bail Monday, saying there were additional matters the court wished to consider before making a decision.
Arnold remains on remand pending Tuesday afternoon’s bail hearing.
The post Arlene Arnold remanded on manslaughter charge after allegedly fatally stabbing common-law husband Clive Hendricks with broken pint bottle appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 50-year-old Belize City woman has been remanded to prison on a manslaughter charge following the death of her common-law husband, who police say suffered a single wound to his arm with a broken pint bottle during an alleged domestic dispute. Arlene Tanice Arnold, a housekeeper and mother of six,
The post Arlene Arnold remanded on manslaughter charge after allegedly fatally stabbing common-law husband Clive Hendricks with broken pint bottle appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.