Witnesses Testify That Shawn Mussington Admitted to Stabbing Simone Whyte-Barrington

SOURCE DAILY OBSERVER- By Azara Lavia

Day three of the murder trial against Shawn Mussington, who is accused of killing his ex-partner, 45-year-old Simone Whyte-Barrington, continued on Wednesday with witnesses claiming that the accused admitted to them that he had committed the crime.

However, one witness added that the accused reported that he was first attacked by the deceased, and he was attempting to live a “Christian life”.

Mussington is accused of stabbing the hairdresser in the chest on November 14, 2020 while they were at a party on Market Street.

Fourteen out of a possible 30 witnesses have so far taken the stand during the trial, which began on Monday, and recalled their interactions with the couple and how the event unfolded that fateful day.

The court heard on Monday that on November 3, 2020, less than two weeks before the woman was killed, she filed a report with police, stating that Mussington had threatened to kill her and himself.

And, on Tuesday, the court viewed crime scene photos which showed a blood-splattered wall, the bloody floor of a veranda, and the deceased’s body next to the alleged murder weapon — a brown-handled knife.

On Wednesday, a police officer involved in the arrest of Mussington also testified that he went to a residence on Fort Road, where he found Mussington along with other occupants of the home.

The officer informed them that he was conducting a murder investigation. He recounted seeing Mussington without a shirt and what appeared to be blood on his upper body. A blood-stained shirt was also in Mussington’s lap.

The officer instructed one of the occupants to place the shirt in a plastic bag, which was then handed over to law enforcement.

He said that while he was being transported to police headquarters, Mussington complained that his neck and chin were bleeding. He claimed that Simone had attempted to stab him first, and in defending himself, he pushed her away.

He insisted that he had not intended for anything to happen, and that he was trying to live a “Christian life”.

During cross-examination, defence Attorney Wendel Alexander questioned the arresting officer regarding his documentation of the arrest — specifically whether or not he had recorded the information in his pocketbook. Alexander suggested that the officer’s failure to do so reflected a lack of proper police procedure.

According to another witness’ testimony, the incident occurred during a customer appreciation event at a business located on Tanner and Market streets, where the deceased worked as a hairdresser.

The event was organized by the business owner, who testified that guests were present on the veranda while she was serving food to customers.

During the event, a friend of Simone’s shouted to her, which alerted her that something had happened to Simone. Upon rushing to the scene, she discovered Simone slumped against a wall; she was unresponsive. She immediately dialled 911 and was instructed by the operator to apply pressure to a wound, which she did.

While still at the scene, she received a call from Mussignton, who inquired about what had happened to Simone. The witness said she responded: “You know what you did”. She then signalled to a police officer to listen in on the call.

When the officer questioned him about his whereabouts, Mussington stated that he was at Barnes Hill. He then admitted to the officer that he had stabbed Simone. The officer instructed him to turn himself in to the police.

Another witness, who appeared via Zoom was residing in Antigua at the time of the incident but has since moved to the United States, provided further details.

He testified that at approximately 10:10pm that night, Mussington arrived at his home on Anchorage Road. When he came outside to Mussington, the accused informed the witness that he had “gotten into a bit of trouble” following a fight with his girlfriend.

He admitted that he had stabbed her but claimed the injury was minor and that she was in the hospital.

Mussington then asked for a phone call and a shirt, as he was not wearing one at the time. The witness noted that Mussington appeared visibly frightened.

The witness stated he also appeared intoxicated; however, Mussington was not known to be a heavy drinker. He also shared that he was a jovial person, who loved to make people laugh.

Shortly after Mussington left, the witness received a phone call inquiring about his whereabouts, to which he responded that Mussington had already departed.

Another witness, a former colleague of the deceased at a salon on New Street, testified about the relationship between Simone and Mussington. She recalled first meeting Simone when she moved into the salon, at which time Mussington was assisting her in unpacking.

The witness described their relationship as tumultuous, stating that Simone frequently dismissed Mussington, often telling him, “Go way, boy.” She further testified that Simone embarrassed Mussington on multiple occasions and consistently rejected his advances.

The district doctor, who examined the deceased at the scene, testified that she was pronounced dead at 10:45pm. He described finding her in a seated position with her back against the wall at the entrance of a clothing store.

Upon examination, he determined that she had suffered a stab wound to the chest, just below her left breast. He also noted that there was blood splattered around the area.

During cross-examination, defence attorney Alexander challenged the doctor’s documentation, arguing that his notes lacked crucial details, such as the time of his arrival, who escorted him to the scene, and the deceased’s name.

The jury must decide if Mussington intended to kill the woman, and will deliver a verdict at the end of the trial.

The trial is being held before a jury of eight women and three men, with Justice Tunde Bakre presiding over the case.

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