In a significant legal development, Shaleza Ellis, a 28-year-old woman, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for the manslaughter of Latoya Haywood, who was fatally stabbed on Christmas morning in 2019. The sentencing was handed down by Justice Damone Younge at the High Court in Georgetown, marking the culmination of a lengthy legal process that included a retrial due to allegations of juror tampering.

The incident occurred at a family gathering at the intersection of Leopold and Breda Streets in Georgetown. Ellis became enraged when Haywood spoke to her boyfriend, Alfie Garraway, who was also the father of Haywood’s cousin’s child. Witnesses reported that Ellis retrieved a knife and, despite attempts to intervene, allegedly stabbed Haywood once in the chest as the vehicle she was in began to move. Haywood was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she remained in a coma for nearly a month before succumbing to her injuries on January 23, 2020.

Ellis initially fled but later turned herself in to authorities on January 28, 2020. During the trial, Ellis expressed deep remorse for her actions, claiming that the altercation escalated after Haywood threw alcohol in her face and followed her, leading to a physical confrontation. Ellis admitted to stabbing Haywood but maintained that she never intended to take a life.

The court considered both aggravating and mitigating factors in determining the sentence. Ellis’s prison conduct report was generally positive, with fellow inmates describing her as friendly, respectable, cooperative, and tidy. However, she had two infractions for possessing cigars and a cellphone.

The victim’s family, while relieved that justice was served, expressed their grief over the loss of Haywood, describing her death as a devastating blow to their family. The state was represented by Muntaz Ali from the Office of the Director of Prosecution, while Attorney Candace Adams represented Ellis.