Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

A woman who stabbed Detective Inspector Donovan 'Hux' O'Connor in the chest, causing him to be hospitalised for three days in 2003, apologised to him several times yesterday after she was given a suspended sentence.

Shauna Allen, 30, construction worker, of Tavern, St Andrew, who is pregnant with her fifth child, wept in court after Justice Courtney Daye told her that she had committed a very serious offence. The judge told her that she could have been facing a murder charge.

Wounding charge

Allen was charged with wounding with intent, but after her trial commenced, on July 28, she pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding, the lesser offence.

The facts of the case were that some time in 2003, the police, acting on information, went to a premises in Tavern and began to conduct a search. The police entered a room in which Allen was, and told her to go outside. Allen went outside, took up a knife from a table and stabbed Detective Inspector O'Connor in the chest. He was rushed to hospital where he was admitted and kept for three days.

Attorney-at-law Leroy Equiano, who represented Allen, told the judge that it was a very unfortunate incident that arose out of extreme provocation which caused Allen to lose self-control. He said that Allen was seen at the police station at Central Village with a swelling to her face and he was told it was quite pathetic how she looked. He said Detective Inspector O'Connor, despite the injury he received, had a great deal of sympathy for Allen.

Hit with gun

Allen had claimed that she was hit in the face several times with a gun when the police came to the premises. However, it was made abundantly clear that Detective Inspector O'Connor did not assault her.

Probation officer Paul White had recommended that Allen should be placed on probation.

The judge said he did not agree that she should be placed on probation. He said he had to take into account the high level of violence in the society and imposed a sentence that would be a deterrent to others.

Allen was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, but it was suspended for two years. The judge told Allen that if she was convicted of any offence during the next two years, she would have to serve the three-year prison sentence. He also ordered that Allen be supervised by probation officers for two years.