Self-Defence Claim Frees Woman Accused of Killing Abusive Husband
September 12 2025
Following a legal battle that stretched for more than 12 years, Dacia Bourne, now 34, has been acquitted of manslaughter in the death of her reputed husband, Clifford Singh.
Her attorney, Kiswana Jefford of Hughes, Fields and Stoby, explained that the acquittal followed then High Court Judge Justice Jo Ann Barlow’s acceptance that Bourne had acted in self-defence.
Justice Barlow subsequently directed the jury to return a formal not-guilty verdict, bringing the prolonged legal proceedings to a close.
Bourne, who was just 22 in 2013 when first charged with murder, had pleaded not guilty at her arraignment, maintaining her innocence.
The original murder charge was later reduced to manslaughter in the Magistrates’ Court, after which she was granted bail.
Dead: Clifford Singh
During the High Court trial, evidence was presented of a turbulent and abusive relationship between Bourne and Singh.
Jefford noted that the defence relied on Bourne’s caution statement to police, in which she insisted that she had acted in self-defence.
According to the statement, on the night of the incident, Singh had placed their baby on Bourne’s grandmother’s steps while she was out.
Upon returning home, Bourne alleged that Singh dragged her from bed and began kicking and striking her in the head, sparking a violent struggle during which Singh was fatally injured.
The prosecution maintained that Bourne fatally stabbed Singh. However, Jefford argued that the prosecution’s own evidence corroborated Bourne’s version of events.
“The State failed to establish that she acted unlawfully. In fact, the caution statement produced by the prosecuting team established Bourne’s defence of self-defence,” she stated.
Jefford added that although battered women’s syndrome is not formally recognised in Guyana, Bourne’s case underscores how existing defences—such as self-defence, provocation, and temporary insanity—can provide protection for abused women.
Police reported that Singh’s body was discovered at Prince William Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD), on August 14, 2013, showing suspected marks of violence.
A neighbour claimed to have seen a woman striking a man with a piece of wood before leaving the scene.
