By Vernlyn Zakers
Last Thursday the family of a husband who killed his wife asked the judge to show him mercy.
Charles Elroy La Place was convicted on Feb. 28 for the murder of his wife, Diane.
La Place was represented by lawyer Reginald James, who introduced La Place mother to the judge.
The mother begged for the judge to be lenient on La Place.
”My lord am asking you to be lenient on the charges on behave of his children,” the mother said. “When my son was born he was four pounds and his head had a spot on the left side. At age five he was always cranky and had nerves problem.
She said on the day La Place stabbed his wife to death, he was not in the right frame of mind.
La Place was also allowed to address the court.
”Diane was my wife we got married when she was at the aged of 16 on 8th September 1993. Like every marriage we had our ups and downs,” La Place said.
He then said on the morning of the incident he work up around 6 a.m. and went to the shop to get some goods.
When he returned he found his wife lying on the bed.
“We started arguing , the argument got tense, she then pulled a knife and said she was going to stab me. She then let go a stab inwhich I receive a cut.
“We then started to wrestle for a while, I got away the knife from her and we continued to fight. We fought in the dinning room and she received a stab, and then we kept on fighting and that when everything got out of control,” La Place said.
”I recalled she was trying to run outside. Eventually she got to the door opened and that is when she fell over the landing.”
He said he “had lost all control at this point.”
James, his lawyers, then asked him if remembered anything that happened outside.
”I don’t remember anything that took place downstairs and I don’t even recalled being hit in the head by nobody, I don’t remember anything,” La Place said.
”Normally every marriage has its up and down, mine was okay when it first started,” La Place said. “The interference with one in-law caused it to go bad. Every time we argued that same in-law would try to reason and always came down there and engaged with her anger.
“One occasion I was on the porch combing my hair, Sheryl and Wayne was there staying with us I think to baby-sit, I got up and went to take a bath. Two minutes later she came in and start to ague about Wayne wanting to take a shower. I ask Diane what’s wrong with you. She said nothing.”
She said it was during the argument that Diane told him that she wanted somebody who would love her.
La Place testified that he told that ”if you want somebody to love you why you think I married you, we argued and Diane kept on shouting and nothing happened
“Sheryl called the police and they came and handle the matter and left,” La Place said.
He then told the judge and the that Diane told him one of their daughters was not his
He then begged for a mercy and said ” I have five children I wish to see them grow I don’t want nobody to tell me about them. Sarah has a child for me that I love so am asking you to be lenient on me. I was in love sir and still am, I love her, I had no intention of hurting her.”
He will face his sentence on 30th of March 2006.
Outside the court, co-workers of the late Diane demonstrated outside against La Place.
Most of them had placards with;
”Kill Him.”
“Hang Him Brutal Murderer.”
”He is a cold blooded murderer.”
One worker shouted “He called her for her death and claiming that he loved, you lie.”
Another shouted ”may her soul rest in for his judgement is near.”
