Columbia man sentenced to 30 years in stabbing
Defendant admits guilt, tells victims, 'I'm so sorry'
By Derek Simmonsen
dsimmonsen@patuxent.com
Posted 6/26/09
A Columbia man was sentenced to 30 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to the non-fatal stabbing of his former girlfriend and her teenage daughter in North Laurel last summer.
At one point during the roughly five-hour sentencing hearing, Raymond Samuel Watson, 54, turned toward the woman and her daughter and held up his hands in apology.
“I’m sorry for what I did,” he said. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Watson previously entered an Alford plea to two counts of attempted second-degree murder, meaning that he maintained his innocence, but admitted the state had enough evidence against him to find him guilty.
Watson faced up to 60 years in prison on the charges, but as a result of the Alford plea, prosecutors asked Circuit Court Judge Richard Bernhardt to sentence him to 40 years in prison instead, said Wayne Kirwan, a state attorney’s office spokesman.
Defense attorney Timothy Gunning, who could not immediately be reached for comment, asked for a punishment within the sentencing guidelines, which called for four to 18 years in prison. Gunning previously said Watson entered the plea because he did not intend to kill his former girlfriend or her daughter.
After listening to testimony from the woman and her daughter, as well as Watson’s family members, Bernhardt ultimately sentenced Watson to two consecutive 15-year prison terms.
The incident occurred about 10:20 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2008 outside the woman’s home in the 9400 block of Loch Leven Court in North Laurel.
Watson was accused of jumping out from behind bushes with a meat cleaver and a crowbar and attacking the woman. After the girl went outside to help her mother, she was also attacked, police said.
Watson fled the scene and was arrested two days later. The two victims, who had multiple stab wounds, were flown to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where they were treated and released.
Watson and the woman previously had been involved in a relationship, but the woman ended it when he became too possessive, according to prosecutors.
Watson, a citizen of Jamaica, is subject to possible deportation at the end of his sentence, Kirwan said.
Staff writer Mike Santa Rita contributed to this report.
At one point during the roughly five-hour sentencing hearing, Raymond Samuel Watson, 54, turned toward the woman and her daughter and held up his hands in apology.
“I’m sorry for what I did,” he said. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Watson previously entered an Alford plea to two counts of attempted second-degree murder, meaning that he maintained his innocence, but admitted the state had enough evidence against him to find him guilty.
Watson faced up to 60 years in prison on the charges, but as a result of the Alford plea, prosecutors asked Circuit Court Judge Richard Bernhardt to sentence him to 40 years in prison instead, said Wayne Kirwan, a state attorney’s office spokesman.
Defense attorney Timothy Gunning, who could not immediately be reached for comment, asked for a punishment within the sentencing guidelines, which called for four to 18 years in prison. Gunning previously said Watson entered the plea because he did not intend to kill his former girlfriend or her daughter.
After listening to testimony from the woman and her daughter, as well as Watson’s family members, Bernhardt ultimately sentenced Watson to two consecutive 15-year prison terms.
The incident occurred about 10:20 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2008 outside the woman’s home in the 9400 block of Loch Leven Court in North Laurel.
Watson was accused of jumping out from behind bushes with a meat cleaver and a crowbar and attacking the woman. After the girl went outside to help her mother, she was also attacked, police said.
Watson fled the scene and was arrested two days later. The two victims, who had multiple stab wounds, were flown to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where they were treated and released.
Watson and the woman previously had been involved in a relationship, but the woman ended it when he became too possessive, according to prosecutors.
Watson, a citizen of Jamaica, is subject to possible deportation at the end of his sentence, Kirwan said.
Staff writer Mike Santa Rita contributed to this report.
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