High Court frees mother of 3 accused of killing husband

Lisa Halley, 28, was freed of a manslaughter charge following a ruling by High Court Judge Peter Hugh, who upheld a no-case submission due to insufficient evidence.
Halley, formerly of Swan Village Soesdyke-Linden Highway, had been on trial for the death of her husband, Dailson Halley which occurred in 2017.
During the trial, the State, represented by Prosecutor Mikel Puran, argued that Halley had unlawfully killed her husband during a domestic dispute at their Queen Street, Kitty home.
However, Halley’s defense attorney, Damien DaSilva, successfully argued that the prosecution’s case lacked the evidence necessary for a conviction. As such, he contended that the State failed to disprove the reasonable possibility that Lisa had acted in self-defense when she fatally stabbed her husband.
The case had garnered attention due to the history of domestic abuse within the couple’s relationship. Reports indicated that Dailson had repeatedly abused Halley thus forcing her into prostitution, and took control of her earnings.
On July 29, 2017, during an argument, Dailson allegedly threatened to kill her while armed with a knife. In the altercation that followed, the mother of three managed to take away the weapon and fatally wound him. Despite witness testimonies and Halley’s caution statement to the police, the prosecution’s evidence was found lacking.
Justice Hugh ruled that the case should not be left to the jury, as the evidence, even at its strongest, could not lead to a conviction. The jury was directed to return a formal verdict of not guilty, and Halley was freed.
Halley has been on the run for seven years after the incident and had fled while out on bail.