Mother serving 98 years for killing children appeals sentence

HOFOSAWA Awena

Rutherford, who is currently serving a total of 98 years in jail for killing her two children, has moved to the Court of Appeal to challenge her conviction and sentence.

In 2018, Justice Navindra Singh sentenced

Rutherford after a jury found her guilty on two counts of manslaughter for the March 27, 2014 killing of her two small children at Branch Road, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

On the first count, killing of four-year-old Hodascia Codogan, Rutherford was sentenced to 45 years’ jail; while on the second count, killing of one-year-old Jabari Codogan, she was ordered to serve 53 years’ jail time.

The 98-year sentence will run consecutively.

Dissatisfied with the conviction and sentence, Rutherford moved to the appeal court, arguing that the trial was unfair, the judge erred in law and that the sentence was unduly severe.

The appeal comes up for hearing at the Guyana

Court of Appeal on March 29, 2023.

The children died on March 27th, 2014, moments after Rutherford administered carbon tablets—a pesticide popularly known for killing rats—to them. Her claim was that she thought that she had given them cold medication.

Rutherford was her - self hospitalised for some time after ingesting the tablets.

According to her caution statement, Rutherford told police about having problems and being frustrated while awaiting word on her application for a job as a traffic warden with the Guyana Police Force.