Man sprayed wife and workplace with gasoline
Facing a maximum of life imprisonment, George Dexter Evans was given a sentence of 10 years on Thursday for the attempted murder of his wife, with eight years concurrent for arson at her workplace, the Plantation Village Beach Resort.
Evans, 54, was charged after an incident on 12 December, 2010.
The fire he set in the resort reception area caused US$200,000 damage. He chose to be tried by judge alone and Justice Charles Quin found him guilty in August. Sentencing was postponed for a psychiatric evaluation.
In passing sentence, Justice Quin said this was a tragic case where the negative effects of alcohol, added to uncontrolled jealousy, had made Evans behave in a way he otherwise would not have.
Social inquiry reports indicated Evans was a loving, responsible husband and caring father, but as one family member put it, “when he drinks alcohol he acts like he has got no sense.”
The evidence was that Evans went to the resort, where his wife worked, and got her to come to the reception door.
She started to close the door when she saw he had a spray bottle in his hand. She did get sprayed, but with the help of the office manager got the door closed against him. He used a lighter and caused the door to burst into flames.
The fire on the door went out quickly, but Evans then drove his truck into the door of the reception area, making a large hole; he poured more gasoline on the floor from a larger container, immediately setting the gasoline on fire (Caymanian Compass, 15 August 2011).
Justice Quin recalled evidence that Evans had remained at the scene, shouting, “I am George Evans. I did it. I did it.”
Before his trial, Evans had pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and not guilty to damage to property intending to endanger the life of his wife. He did admit to arson on the basis of being reckless as to whether the life of another would be endangered, but Senior Crown Counsel Trevor Ward said those pleas were not acceptable.
Before sentence was passed, attorney John Furniss submitted a certificate from a programme Evans had completed in prison on identifying goals and making choices. He said Evans was attending Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous regularly.
Justice Quin referred to the psychiatric exam results he had received, in which Evans was described as suffering from alcohol dependence and a personality disorder.
The judge quoted from a Canadian case Mr. Ward had brought to his attention.
“In the case of assaults by a man against his wife or female partner in life, two of the applicable principles are that the sentence should be shaped in the hope of furthering the rehabilitation of that man and in the hope of deterring him from repeating his conduct in the future.
However, the more important principles are that the sentence should be such to deter other men from similarly conducting themselves towards women who are their wives or partners … and the sentence should express the community’s wish to repudiate such conduct”.
Justice Quin said he was taking into account Evans’ previous “extremely good work record” and the minimal physical and psychological harm to Mrs.
Evans. She continued to visit her husband in prison and those visits plus rehabilitative programmes while in custody would hopefully ensure he never comes before the courts again, the judge said.
The attempted murder and arson were committed at the same time and by some common acts, so the sentences were made to run concurrently.
A sentence of six months, for damaging Mrs. Evans’ car, was also made to run concurrently.
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