The Court of Appeal has begun hearing the appeal of a woman who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of her Finnish husband five years ago.
Lawyers for Melanie Baugh on Wednesday urged the Appeal Court to quash her conviction, claiming the trial judge erred in not throwing out the case following no-case submissions.
Attorney Robert Fletcher argued that there was no evidence linking Mrs. Baugh to the murder of her husband, Dr Timo Juhane Pellinen, 50.
Dr Pellinen was shot dead on the Harmony Hall main road in St. Ann on October 1, 2005.
The police had reported that about 10:30 pm, Mr. Pellinen and his wife were travelling from the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St. James to Ocho Rios in St. Ann, when they made a stop along the Harmony Hall main road.
A car reportedly drove up and bumped into the rear of the couple's car.
A man came out of the car to assess the damage, which was minor.
The police added that after the man had a brief conversation with the couple, an explosion was heard and it was discovered that Mr. Pellinen had been shot.
He died on the spot.
His wife reportedly escaped by running into nearby bushes.
However, following investigations into the case, she was charged with plotting the murder of her husband.
Carpenter, Marvin Stewart 30, of Lyssons in St. Thomas, was also charged in the matter, but he was acquitted at the trial.
The prosecutors had relied on the testimony of a prisoner who told the court that while Mrs. Baugh was in custody, she told her that she had instructed the "man" not to kill her husband.
The appeal continues on Thursday.
All feeds
