The Court of Appeal has increased the sentence meted out to the man convicted of brutally stabbing a young mother in 2022. The man, M.B., will now serve an eighteen-year sentence, two more than the Court of First Instance had sentenced him to a year ago.
The defendant M.B., the ex-partner of the victim E.H., repeatedly stabbed her and left her critically
injured on the roadside near Emerald Funeral Home in July 2022. He faced the charge of attempted
murder for the heinous attack.
The Prosecutor’s Office Sint Maarten OM SXM demanded a 16-year prison term for M.B. due to the
severity of the crime committed both in the Court of First Instance and when the case went to appeal.
The panel of three judges ruled on behalf of the court to increase the sentence based what they saw in
the case.
In the appeal case as in the first case, the accused has denied that he was the perpetrator. He claimed to
have been sleeping at home all night, although the tracking of his phone contradicted this alibi.
In its ruling on July 15, the Court of Appeal also awarded the full victim’s compensation to E.H. regarding
lost material items and her immaterial damages such as pain and suffering, and emotional distress
experienced due to the severity of the incident.
During the trial, the OM SXM emphasized that this shocking incident deeply impacted the Sint Maarten
community, causing unease and fear. OM SXM sees ensuring justice in such cases is crucial for
community healing, especially for the victim and her support network.
