A woman on trial for killing her boyfriend outside his apartment told a jury yesterday that she remained in an abusive relationship because she was in love.
Halisia Smith, a room attendant at Kerzner International, testified that her main concern was her safety and that of her daughter when she swung at Aldean Gibson Jr. with an unknown object on May 3, 2012.
Smith is on trial for manslaughter and has denied the charge at her trial before Justice Indra Charles.
Smith said she and Gibson began dating in 2010.
She said she did not press charges against Gibson for beating her because she loved him and she did not want him to lose his job.
She cried as she recounted a 2011 incident in which Gibson allegedly pounded her in the face because he was angry that one of his friends was her e- contact.
According to Smith, she and Gibson had ended their tumultuous relationship shortly before their last fight.
Smith remained composed as she recalled how Gibson gripped her by the neck as he tried to drag her into his home.
Smith said she was holding her daughter in her left hand and she found an object in her car's side pocket and swung back at Gibson.
She said once he released his grip, she ran into a neighbor's home.
Smith denied assertions by prosecution witnesses that she was already safe when she left a neighbor's house and slashed Gibson in the neck.
In response to a question from prosecutor Cordell Frazier, Smith said she was not upset that Gibson had started taking out the music set out of her vehicle.
The case continues today. Smith, who is on bail, is represented by Wayne Munroe.

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