Man gets 12 years for stabbing death of ex-girlfriend

The man who stabbed his ex-girlfriend Altavea Billingy aka Tavea, of Chester Cottage, during a struggle in Kingstown in February 2023 that began when she crossed the street and “scuffled” him has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

However, Eldon Charles aka Max, 40, of Cedars, had spent two years, 11 months and 17 days in prison when Justice Rickie Burnett handed down the sentence at the High Court in Kingstown.


This means that Charles must serve a further 9 years and 14 days in prison.

He could have faced an 18-year sentence, but Charles’ guilty plea resulted in a one-third discount on the sentence the court had initially imposed.

This reduced the sentence to 12 years, before the time Charles spent on remand was deducted.

Charles, a tradesman and father of a 16-year-old girl, had initially pleaded not guilty to the charge that he murdered Billingy on Feb. 4, 2023, at Grenville Street, Kingstown.

Then on Oct. 30, 2025, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a lesser charge.

A summary of the facts, as presented by the judge, is that Billingy and Charles were previously in an intimate relationship but had separated prior to Feb. 4, 2023, the date of her death.

As part of the separation, police had been called to accompany Billingy to peacefully remove her belongings from Charles’ home.

On Feb. 4, 2023, Billingy was at Canash/Blue Lagoon Beach with her friends, including two people, TA and SR, who the judge identified by their initials.

Charles was also at the same beach, drinking Fireball and Guinness.

He interacted with a woman whose surname begins with “A” – “Miss A” — who had earlier approached him.

Billingy later joined them, and in the presence of Miss A, Charles said that he missed Billingy and wanted the relationship to resume.

Billingy made it clear that she did not wish to reconcile with Charles.

Later that afternoon, Billingy, her friend SR, and SR’s 6-year-old son, JB, travelled back towards Kingstown by van. Charles had also entered the same van.

Upon arrival in Little Tokyo in Kingstown, the group proceeded toward Yankee Chicken, near Grenville Street and the Anglican Church area.

As they passed Coreas Car Park, Charles was seen standing under Vee Jays.

SR expressed concern to Billingy, stating that she did not want anyone following them.

The group then stopped at Yankee’s Chicken to purchase food, and while they waited, SR again observed Charles in the area, walking past them on the side of Platinum Divas Boutique.

The child remained outside Yankee Chicken while SR went inside.

Billingy went across the road and confronted Charles and “scuffled him up” and an argument and physical struggle ensued, during which Charles pulled out a knife.

Billingy held onto the knife as they struggled, sustaining a stab wound to her abdomen in the process, which ultimately resulted in her death.

The child witnessed the stabbing incident.

At approximately 9:45 p.m., a police mobile patrol travelling along Grenville Street approached the area and Corporal 334 Mozart Harry observed two persons on the sidewalk near the Anglican Church.

As the police vehicle slowed, Charles stepped away and Billingy fell to the ground.

As Charles moved, he was seen placing something into his right front pants pocket.

Police officers immediately detained Charles and search of his person revealed a silver and black switch-blade folding knife in his right front pants pocket.

Upon being cautioned, Charles accused Billingy of breaching an agreement between them.

Police transported Billingy to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 11:13 p.m.

Pathologist Dr. Ronald Child conducted a post-mortem examination of her body and identified a 1.5 cm penetrating stab wound caused by a sharp, somewhat pointed instrument, inflicted with moderate force.

The wound penetrated internal organs and caused fatal internal haemorrhage, which he certified as the cause of death.

Charles was 37 at the date of the incident and the father of a then-13-year-old daughter.

He had no criminal record and told a social worker that he was sorry about what happened.

In a social inquiry report, prison authorities said he had been involved in aggressive confrontations with other prisoners, but, for the most part, was compliant with prison rules.

His community described him as introverted, helpful and quiet.

Meanwhile, the mother of the deceased, Idor Billingy, said that the thought of having to condition her mind to her daughter’s death is nothing short of permanent anguish and suffering.

She said that the pain and hurt are indescribable and nothing eases the pain no matter how she tries to distract herself.

She concluded that her daughter’s death changed her life forever and said her daughter’s presence is deeply missed.

The mother said she struggles every day to get out of bed and function and she has to pretend to be well for her grandchildren.

The woman said that after the passing of her granddaughter, she suffered from insomnia and experienced terrible dreams every time she closed her eyes.

She assumed responsibility for her grandsons.

The judge applied the sentencing guidelines to the facts of the case.

He noted that the knife was produced during a struggle, Billingy held onto it and sustained a stab wound to her abdomen and died.

Justice Burnett established a starting point of 18 years in prison.

The aggravating factors of the case were that it involved the use of a weapon and was committed in the presence of a child.

Mitigating of the offence was the absence of premeditation, a point on which the defence and prosecution agreed.

The judge concluded that the aggravating features outweighed the mitigating and increased the sentence by two years.

The court held that there were no aggravating factors of the offender while his good character and assistance given to the authorities were mitigating factors.

The judge reduced the sentence by two years, given that the mitigating factors outweighed the aggravating factors.

The judge granted a full one-third discount for pleading guilty at the first opportunity, thereby reducing the sentence by six years.