In July of 2011 Viola Pook was sentenced to life in prison for setting her husband on fire. Well now she might not have to serve that tough sentence because she today pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
She was supposed to have a retrial - ordered by the Court of Appeal, but today she surprised the court when she pleaded to the lesser charge. New evidence which shows that she was a victim of domestic abuse, pushed the DPP's office to accept her plea.
And she gave that guilty plea after the facts of the 2011 trail were read to her - specifically that she doused her common law husband, 42 year old Orlando Vasquez in gasoline and then set him on fire. Pook's attorney Lliana Swift accepted the facts as read to her.
Sentencing has been deferred for next week when Justice Adolph Lucas will hear from both sides on how many years Pook should be now serve. The witnesses that will be called are expected to attest to her long history as a victim of abuse, and her state of mind and her character.
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