THE mother of former attorney Nordraka Williams-Burnett, who was in 2018 murdered by her husband former Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) physiotherapist Kyodia Burnett, has risen to the defence of her son-in-law whom she described as “a great husband, father and son-in-law” who treated her daughter like a queen and would never intentionally harm her.

Burnett, who was first diagnosed with generalised anxiety depression in 2008 according to the evidence led in the matter by his attorney Jacqueline Samuels-Brown, King’s Counsel, declined over the years, leading to him being diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder.

Burnett murdered his wife on December 13, 2018 at their West Kirkland Heights, St Andrew, apartment after a quarrel the night before, according to the statement of his then eight-year-old daughter which was read out on day two of his trial in February this year.

“My mother and father would quarrel a lot. I counted the times that they quarrelled and it was 12 times. One time when daddy and mommy were quarrelling I saw mommy crying. When I saw mommy crying I felt like crying too,” the primary school student said in her evidence.

She said in the penultimate quarrel on Wednesday, December 12, 2018, the couple was in their bedroom at their West Kirkland Heights, St Andrew, apartment.

“I heard mommy was shouting at daddy, then I heard daddy talking but I did not hear mommy responding. Early Thursday morning I went to look for mommy and daddy. I saw their bedroom door open and I saw mommy’s two legs first then I saw mommy lying on the bed. I saw something red on the bed, the red thing that I saw on the bed looks like blood,” she said in her statement.

“I saw mommy stand up and was screaming, I then saw mommy fall down on the floor and I saw my daddy lift up mommy and put her on the bed. When I saw daddy lift up mommy and put her on the bed, he walked to the bedroom door and closed it; he was in the room,” the child said.

Burnett has pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility.

On Wednesday, his mother-in-law, who was one of several individuals interviewed by probation officers who compiled a social enquiry report ordered by Supreme Court Judge Justice Dale Palmer, indicated that although the death of her daughter is hard to bear, she cannot harbour ill feelings towards the ex-army man and has forgiven him. The grieving woman said she also still loves her son-in-law and feels unable to do otherwise even though others of her family members, especially Nordraka’s father, are still struggling to forgive him.

She described Burnett as very domesticated, stating that he handled most of the household chores while he, his wife and their two children resided with her for the first eight years of their marriage in Montego Bay. The woman said based on her recollection, Burnett continued to be the same after he and his wife and children relocated to St Andrew because of their jobs.

According to the woman, while she knew Burnett was dealing with mental health challenges she had no idea of the extent until the week he killed her daughter. She told the probation officer that at no point did her daughter express fear of Burnett or any belief that he would harm her or the children. According to the former attorney’s mother, Nordraka was “more fearful that he would hurt himself”.

In the meantime, in the report which was on Wednesday entered into court records at the Supreme Court in downtown Kingston in the trial which is now almost at an end, Nordraka’s mother revealed that her daughter had confided to her that Burnett had been involved in an extra-marital affair. She said her daughter found out about the affair the same week she was killed but was adamant that this had nothing to do with her daughter being killed based on the person she knew Burnett to be. She insisted that Burnett would not have harmed her daughter wilfully, at one point stating that she wished her marriage was like the one her daughter had.

Wednesday, Samuels-Brown, stating “what better victim impact statement could you get?”, told the court “that all the evidence points in the direction of a supervisory order” and suggested sentence of no more than three years.

In a detailed plea in mitigation address, Samuels-Brown said an order that does not include incarceration in a prison or correctional centre is the appropriate one to be made in the case.

“We submit that the defendant residing at a family home is the recommendation of the experts, not the paramilitary environment of the correctional facility,” she said, noting that Burnett’s mother resigned her job overseas to return to the island after the incident in 2018 so as to support him through his legal troubles.

She noted that during the five years that the matter has been before the courts, the defendant and his family have demonstrated support and respect for court orders.

“Your Lordship can feel comfortable that were he to make an order to him to be in the womb of parental and family care, he would not only thrive mentally but the public interest will also be served,” she said.

However, the senior prosecutor who led the evidence in making her sentencing submission on Wednesday pointed out that while Burnett “is an educated man, a university graduate, a professional who knew from as early as 2008 that he was suffering from a mental illness…his children are now having to face all the good and the bad, negatives and positives, without a mother to guide them”.

“He needs to be punished so that he will understand the consequences of action and inaction…it is a custodial sentence that the Crown is urging on this court,” she said.

In noting that the usual range for manslaughter with diminished responsibility is three to 10 years, the prosecution suggested a starting point of five years for Burnett with discounts for his guilty plea, time spent on remand and his previous good character. Arguing that a probation order would shock the public conscience, the prosecution said a custodial sentence would serve the public interest.

Justice Dale Palmer on Wednesday, after hearing the submissions, said he would need time to consider before handing down his decision.

Burnett, in the meantime, had his bail extended.