BRAMPTON, Ont. – The fate of a couple accused of fatally abusing the man’s 10-year-old son and keeping him chained to his bed now rests in the hands of a jury.
Garfield Boothe and his wife Nichelle Boothe-Rowe are charged with second-degree murder in the death of Shakeil Boothe, whose frail and battered body was found in the family’s Brampton, Ont., home on May 27, 2011.
Both have pleaded not guilty, though they acknowledged during trial that Shakeil was regularly beaten for discipline and had fallen seriously ill.
Boothe’s lawyer is urging a verdict of manslaughter for his client while Boothe-Rowe’s lawyer says she should be fully cleared because she acted under duress.
The jury began deliberating today after receiving its final instructions from Ontario Superior Court Judge Fletcher Dawson, who explained several possible verdicts and the requirements for each one.
The trial began on Feb. 3 and has heard from dozens of witnesses, including paramedics, police officers, relatives and the pathologist who examined Shakeil’s body.
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