7 News Belize

She Lost Her Leg; The Jury Says He Didn’t Do It
posted (June 4, 2010)
In February of 2008 we told you the moving story of Christina Zetina. The 21 year old lost her leg after she was shot allegedly by Lenny Bennett Benguche. The 26 year old had a crush on her, and when she rejected him, she says he shot her. It happened on the night of January 29, 2008 when Zetina and her boyfriend Kareem Young were riding on bicycles near their home in Ladyville when Bennett rode past on a bicycle and opened fire. Zetina was shot in the leg and fell to the ground. She had to crawl in the bushes for cover because Bennet kept firing at her.

She survived but her leg had to be amputated because the bullet became lodged under her knee-cap and became infected. On February 19, 2008 Jacqueline Godwin visited this victim of a most unwarranted kind of violence. Here's a portion of that story.

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
On the day that Belizeans went to the polls to vote, twenty one year old shooting victim Christina Zetina underwent surgery that would change her life forever.

Christina Zetina, Amputee
"The foot was really bad, the poison was going up and we had to seek a procedure of amputation. That was the only alternative."

It was a senseless shooting committed by Ladyville resident Lenny Bennett who is believed to have opened fire on Christina because she simply did not want to have a relationship with him. Today, the family is convinced that it was an act of wild jealousy and that others are involved.

Christina Zetina, Victim
"I never did nobody anything to hurt them or wish bad like this and they did me this and I still don't wish bad on them. I pray hard for them because I am sorry for them because I know they will punish down the line. I don't want anyone out there to do him anything for him to go down fast. I want him to live, I want him to live long and I want him to punish for what he did because that I know will happen."

Linda Sabala, Mother of Victim
"I don't know what other intentions he had but with what they did, we want justice. That is what we want."

They just wanted justice....but they didn't get it. The case against 26 year old Lenny Bennett was heard this week; he was on trial for two counts of attempted murder and one count of maim. The jury went into deliberation this afternoon and at 5:30 they came back with a verdict of not guilty on the two counts of attempted murder. The first count for Kareem Young, the verdict was unanimous; the second count for Zetina, was a majority verdict, one juror thought he was guilty, while the other 8 said not guilty.

After the not guilty verdict, the judge instructed the jury to go back and deliberate the charge of maim. The deliberated for half an hour and could not reach a verdict, so justice Lord ordered a retrial on that charge only. "Not guilty"...the verdict stunned court-room observers and saddened Zetina's sister who was in the courtroom.

Florence Zetina, Sister of Victim
"To tell you the truth I don't think anyone of us know how to call her and give her this verdict because she will be disappointed. They already came forward with a Not Guilty verdict on two attempted murders and now with the count of Maim they had a hung jury. This little girl passed Lenney Bennett Benguche look him in the face and in the matter of only 1 minute shots started to rang out, she fell and look at him continue shooting, she saw his face and his whole body. She is going to be disappointed because this little girl didn't want to come to this trial today just because she didn't want to re-live this night that had happened. Christina came with the strength of her youth, she came and she gave the evidence, she presented the evidence to the jury and to come with this Not Guilty and Hung verdict, she's going to be really disappointed but in the end Lenney Benguche knows what he did and like Christina once told me if she doesn't get justice here she will get one justice and that's from the Supreme and she knows that and she said that. People in Belize doesn't understand that yes there is always another chance but the way we move with her to this trial it took a lot of unity, it took a lot of help to get her in for this trial. Not only that but most importantly she had to re-live that night and that wasn't easy. As a sister to watch her go through that testimony that she gave, even sit down and waited for her chance to come to gave her account of that night, it wasn't easy and I just want to tell my sister one thing: 'If there is going to be a re-trial for the Maim, Christina we will stick behind you, If we have to fund raise to continue protect you we will do that and we want you to come and we want you to send him where he belongs because he knows what he did that night. He knows. So we are going to stick by you, we are going to protect you and we are going to respect what decision you make whether it's coming or not. That's all I want to tell you.'"

Bennett Benguche was taken back into custody pending that re-trial.

In his defense, Lenney Bennett Benguche who was undefended told the court that he was drinking with friends when he saw Zetina and Young pass on bicycles and then he heard some shots. He said he was about a quarter of a mile away from where the shooting occurred. Crown Counsel Christelle Wilson represented the prosecution.

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