A woman telling a Saint John courtroom of the fear and anger she’s experienced as a result of her ordeal at the sentencing hearing from John Francis Lingley on charges of criminal harassment and uttering threats — a murder for hire charge was withdrawn.
Susan Connell, in her victim impact statement which she read aloud in court, says this has had a severe toll on her and she just wants her nightmare to end.
“Today I’m mad, mad that a man can have power and control over me,” Connell said in her statement. “I stand before you today a shell of what I used to be.”
The withdrawn charge relates back to on New Year’s Eve last year at the Kent store on the West side Lingley asked a staff member if he was a good shot and that he’d given them $20,000 and later placed a wad of bills on the counter. He said, “if she has me arrested one more time…” Staff contacted the city police and Lingley was arrested.
For the uttering threats charge he was sentenced to time served and to 10 months in jail for harrasment. Lingley spoke in court saying that he takes total responsibility for his actions and said that he’s sorry his wife is having such a hard time.
We spoke with Connell after the sentence was handed down and she says it’s not enough time.
“Where he’s threatened to kill me or have me killed, that’s not enough time, 10 months is not enough,” she says.
Connell says she wanted to give her statement to let others know that you do have a voice.
“You have to get out and see what resources there are, don’t hide from it, go, go and get your voice back,” she says.
