A Brooklyn newlywed who claimed beatings caused her to snap and stab her husband to death after he complained about the size of her butt was acquitted yesterday of manslaughter. Judy Castillo-Thomas, 29, burst into tears when she heard a judge say there wasn't enough evidence to convict her in theMay 11, 2003, death of Jason Thomas, 27, her husband of only three weeks.
"There's just not enough evidence to convict her of anything," Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew D'Emic said after Castillo-Thomas, her 7-year-old son and her mother testified about the couple's violent two-year relationship.
The dead man's family wept outside the courtroom following the conclusion of the two-week bench trial.
Castillo-Thomas testified that the pair long had a stormy relationship - charging Thomas choked her so hard that sometimes she would pass out. On May 11, she said, her husband attacked her as she was on the computer, hours after an earlier fight in their Cypress Hills home.
The beating was accompanied by taunts that she was "too skinny" and her buttocks were "too small," she said. She said she grabbed a knife and tried to escape, but he trapped her at the door, lunging at her. "All of a sudden, the knife got short," Castillo-Thomas testified.
Prosecutors argued the blade wound was no accident because it penetrated 6 inches deep in a downward motion.
Don't know if this will come across as sexist (probably) but I don't think I've ever heard of a woman getting ticked off because she was told her butt was too small. Other way around? Yeah - dude has to know it's coming. But too small?
If there is controverting evidence, the judge should have let the jury decide. The medical argument regarding the downward motion and depth of the blade should be something the jury considers when weighing the testimony of the defendant.
Insult Leads to Assault, Acquttal. Victim Pledges to Put More Junk in the Trunk:
"I never thought good eating habits would get me attacked," said Ms. C-T, "but that's Jason for you! He thought that just because I lost weight, I was an easy target. Well, my slim figure was a tragic mistake that I won't repeat again! Jason is dead, so from now on, I'm eating for the both of us."
