In an unsworn statement from the accused’s box yesterday, Shawn Mussington expressed deep remorse over the death of Jamaican hairdresser Simone Whyte-Barrington, while also outlining the verbal and physical abuse he suffered during their relationship.
Mussington is accused of fatally stabbing Whyte-Barrington in the chest with a knife during a gathering upstairs the old Hitachi Centre building at the corner of Tanner and Market streets on November 14, 2020.
“All my life I’ve been a kind, caring, loving person,” Mussington told the court. “On behalf of the deceased’s family, I’m pouring out my heart in condolence for what happened.”
Mussington described his relationship with Whyte-Barrington as complicated; stating: “She was older than me. We had a relationship together, and I did love her very, very much, in spite of her fighting with me.”
He claimed that she was often aggressive toward him, yet he remained “humble” throughout their relationship.
“In spite of the rocky relationship, I did all that I had to do to make sure the relationship stayed healthy. I’m sorry; my condolences … My heart goes out,” Mussington concluded in his unsworn statement to the court and the victim’s family.
During yesterday’s proceedings, defense attorney Wendel Alexander announced he would not be calling a medical doctor to testify as previously planned. Alexander requested additional time to interview two potential witnesses, with the intention to close the defence’s case and subsequently address the court today.
The prosecution closed its case on Tuesday after calling its final witness, a female police constable who knew both the victim and the accused.
During cross-examination, the officer revealed she had known Whyte-Barrington for five years while living in Swetes, describing her as her a beautician who had lived with her for a period of time from June 2020.
She testified that while Mussington and Whyte-Barrington had lived together at some point, she had never witnessed any arguments between them.
The case is being heard before Justice Tunde Bakre.
