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Life In Prison For Taking Christy’s Life
posted (April 26, 2016)
30 year-old Orange Walk Resident Osmar Sabido will spend life in prison. That's the sentence that Justice Herbert Lord handed him today after he found Sabido guilty of killing his girlfriend, 21 year-old Christie Carrasco.

On the night of February 28, 2011, he stabbed his girlfriend Christie Carrasco to death in her home at the San Lorenzo housing site in Orange Walk. Police found him at the house with the murder weapon in his vehicle. Christie's family believes that he did it in the throes of a jealous rage, and they accused him of intending to go as far as burning down the house with her body inside.

In his defense, Sabido told the court that it was Christie who pulled the knife and tried to stab him after they'd had a quarrel. He claimed that while he deflecting the blows, she stabbed herself while trying to harm him.

Well, after weeks of deliberation, Justice Herbert Lord founded him guilty in this trial without jury. The decision was handed down today in the Northern Session of the Supreme Court in Orange Walk, and the defense waived their right to prepare a mitigation plea. That's because there can only be one sentence for a murder conviction, and that's life in prison.

That's what the judge gave him, and when the hearing was over, Sabido's attorney, Oscar Selgado, granted an interview to our colleagues from CTV3 News. Here's what he told them:

Oscar Selgado, Attorney for Osmar Sabido
"I am indeed surprised by the ruling, because I am still of the opinion that the defense's raise that of self-defense, provocation and accident. Having looked at the evidence I still believe that there was self-defense and that there was accident involved. The learned judge has made a 69 page ruling, very lengthy, took over an hour and a half to read it. I still must now go and critically analyze his ruling, but I am convinced that there is grounds upon which an appeal can be lodge from the evidence. I am still convinced that the evidence itself does not add up to a conviction."

Reporter
"The judge ruled obviously that there was no self-defense. It was an act of self-defense, there was no provocation and it was no an accident. What is it that Osmar related to you that would make you think that somewhere in the case there was self-defense or it was an accident?"

Oscar Selgado, Attorney for Osmar Sabido
"Well, as what came out in the evidence, there was. He was attacked by the deceased. That is my instructions. That is what he relayed to me and I believe him very much. The judge's own opinion came and the judge's own conviction came because there was no blood inside the house and that the brawl could not have occurred inside the house. Therefore Osmar Sabido was not truthful. He further said that because Osmar Sabido was not at home at approximately 6pm, what was said to have provoked the brawl, could not have been said and done at the time. My thing is this; again, that is not here nor there. Because he said approximately 6pm. approximately 6 could be 7 and the 3 rebuttal witnesses that were brought in ex improviso, all said approximately 7, approximately 8. So there again were a lot of approximately - approximation in time - if's. And I mention that to the judge, that you cannot take an "if" and counter another "if" with it. So that that the time was irrelevant. What was relevant was whether or not in fact those words were said and those actions were done. Whether they were said at 6, 7,8,9,10,11 or 12pm, is irrelevant."

Sabido has been on remand since 2011 while awaiting trial. Carrasco was the mother of a two year old at the time of her death.

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