Girlfriend admits LC killing

| 31/03/2014

(CNS): Elsey Calderon De Ortega Barralga, who was charged with the murder of Perry McLaughlin (54) last year, pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter, ahead of what was expected to be a judge-alone trial before Justice Charles Quin. Instead, however, the court heard that following discussions between the crown and her defence team the woman had admitted killing her boyfriend at the home they shared in Little Cayman last November when she lost control during a fight between the couple. Barralga (29) said that on returning home on 1 November, she and McLaughlin argued and the fight became physical.

She said that they both struck each other but Barralga admits picking up a knife and wounding McLaughlin. In a prepared basis of plea, she said that she was no longeracting in self-defence when she made the fatal stab wounds that killed her lover, having already wounded him and removed the immediate threat to her own life, as she had lost control of herself during the altercation.

The basis of her admission to killing McLaughlin was read out to the court by her defence lawyer, Maura McGowan, QC, as Barralga wept quietly in the dock. The crown accepted the plea to the lesser charge and the case was adjourned until Wednesday, when submissions will be made before the judge in relation to sentencing, and Barralga was remanded in custody.

A well-known local businessman on the island, McLaughlin was found by one of his employees at around 7am on the morning of 2 November at his home. The worker was unable to contact him by phone and went to look for him at his house in Gazebo Lane, where he discovered the bloody scene and his boss’s body. 

Police arrested Barralga shortly after and charged her with his murder a few days later.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Mr Perry gave up drinking when he got along with her she started him back drinking because she like to party and like what  a old friend told him she would be the death of him and so that what happen

  2. Anonymous says:

    she did not leave him because he found the gold mind that all the women come here looking for!! Black eyes or starvation back home??  would you do?

  3. Anonymous says:

    questions – how many times did they fight?

    how many times were the police called?

    How many times did this lady ended up beating treated medically for the beating?

    How many times did the LC community ignore the black eyes?

    Could be wrong but marl road has it that he beat her often. If this is true then he deserved what he got and the LC Police should be taking up a cell right along with her because they failed in their duty to keep a resident safe.

    Men you beat women deserve to be beaten or in this case killed.

     

    • Anonymous says:

      You are a sick person.

    • Anonymous says:

      Obviously you didn't know him or you would not have asked such ignorant questions.

      You and the marl road you rely on are both wrong  there were no beatings or black eys or calls to the police. You should get your facts straight before posting nonesense about someone's murdered son.

  4. Absurdistani says:

    DPP should not have accepted the manslaughter plea and should have pursued the murder charge.

    Just another day in Absurdistan.

    • Anonymous says:

      Justice served – he was a violent alcoholic who beat and abused his women.

      Yes it's true no one deserves to be stabbed to death but no one deserves to be beat and abused every night either.  This seems fairly biblical – an eye for an eye.  He beat her, she fought back and on this night, he lost.  Jus sayin…

      • Anonymous says:

        Ummmm…an eye for an eye means cut for cut, life for life. It appears she stabbed him multiple times and he did not stab her at all. It appears that he is dead and she is still alive. Are you proposing that there should be a blood feud so that his family evens the score?   

      • Anonymous says:

        How do you know he beat her every night? Are you the next door neighbour? and if so and you witnessed nightly beatings why didn't you call the police?

        Or maybe you are a friend of a killer who is trying to get some sympathy now that all the other lies have failed. 

         

    • Anonymous says:

      She should be set free – the man was a bully to women.

  5. Anonymous says:

    This girl was initially acting in self defence, she fought for her life. This has nothing to do with race, status or religion. He was a violent alcoholic. Nobody deserves to be killed, but its important that we all take a wider look at things in life.

    • Anonymous says:

      Were you there? Funny she does not even suggest that she was fighting for her life.

    • Anonymous says:

      If he was a violent alcoholic, why did she hook up with him or stay with him?

      Women on these Islands need to learn that having some dude in their life at all cause, no matter the characters or lack of ambition of those dudes, is going get them absolutely nowhere……or like in this case, they are moving to prison!

  6. Anonymous says:

    Word on the road is he was a woman beater who abused every woman he had. If this is in fact true then justice has been served.

  7. El Tigre de Banaca says:

    There are many older Caymanian men with latina sweetheart's probably sleeping with one eye open tonight. 

    • Anonymous says:

      Every night, not just tonight

    • Anonymous says:

      Who’s sleeping with one eye open: old men or Latina sweethearts?

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes, and many men consider the women their property to treat as they wish.

       

      • Anonymous says:

        It apparently true here as in the sacred vessel defense of an elected official by a government lawer

      • Anonymous says:

        It apparently true here as in the sacred vessel defense of an elected official by a government lawer

  8. Anonymous says:

    What if he was abusive to her? We often forget that people move to other countries to better themselves. What if they were really in live but because he knew that taking care of her she would not leave. We forget Caymanian men have a nasty habit of beating women no matter who they are or what they have accomplished in life. I’m not saying that he deserved to be killed but this is a lesson to all men that women were not put on this earth to be beaten or taken advantage of. I agree that she should of left him but sometimes if they r kids involved and taken a slap is what’s going to get them the next meal then mothers do what they have to do. I’m sorry for his lost and I’m sorry that it came to this but violence needs to stop from both male and females. Just saying 345

    • Anonymous says:

      Carribean men on a whole are physically abusive not all but PLENTY! I need me a nice latin lover or a gentle English man. These Caymanian men want sex for nothing. Treat ya like crap but expect ya to willingly open your legs. I'm sorry but sweet **** can't pay CUC!

      • Anonymous says:

        So you would rather have sex with descendants of slave masters who will ride like a house just to get one over an ethic man.  You need to get life as if violence is related only to Caribbean.  It's comments like that that give good Caribbean men a bad name.  Stop labelling and pick your man wisely.

      • Anonymous says:

        ROTFLMAO!

      • Anonymous says:

        You sound like a hoe,willing to sell your body to pay CUC,that's the problem,some women these have no pride,they do anything,?uc? Anybody for a dollar

      • Anonymous says:

        Most latin men are beater! Most of my friends are latin and they all beat their women! Caymanian

  9. Anonymous says:

    Old men, be warned. Stick to your age and your Caymanian women.  All we will do is cus cus but we not going to butcher you. Leave the young girls alone for the younger men who can stand upto them in many ways. 

  10. Anonymous says:

    Having a old foot is a dead beat! Old men wants a vibrant young woman not a grumpy out of shape Caymanian girl that can’t cook much less has no energy! After all we can have kids until death lol! Gt voter

  11. Anonymous says:

    Unfortunately this is what happens with domestic abuse and bullying and then add alcohol into the mix

  12. Anonymous says:

    These women are coming to Cayman to look for a better living. They will pick up any old man that a Cayman woman do not want , just to get Residence. Something should be done about this.

    • Anonymous says:

      They make their bed and lie in it.  What of their own women or men.

  13. Anonymous says:

    She took a life and should be hung.

  14. Anonymous says:

    Sad indeed. I know it pales in comparison but can someone please explain to me how she was in Cayman in the first place and allowed to stay so long? Just askin.

    • Anonymous says:

      Dahlin, you don’t know the law on applies to some?

    • Anonymous says:

      Ask how many are on island that immigration has no idea of them still living here.  How many  have no work and are walking the streets, lounging the pavement day after day, doing nothing.  Are they our assets or our liabilities?

      • Anonymous says:

        If the Immigration Department was doing its job properly they would know who is stil here and would be able to round up and send home those who are illegally working without work permits. Whatever happened to the enforcment officers? I can well remember the days of Mr. Orrett Connor and before him Mr. Rex Miller, Mr. Audley Scott and so many other fearless immigrtion officers who enforced the law! Overstayers knew they could not mess with them! Immigration has lost respect over they years by trying to be friend to everyone and now people are doing whatever they want. It is a bad situation.

    • Anonymous says:

      It's known as a work permit. You know one of those little things that the Immigration Boards give to foreigners that allows them to stay and work in the Islands. The victim held her work permit as she worked for him.

  15. Anonymous says:

    These are the things that happens when an old man picks a young girl over a matured and older woman. 

    • Anonymous says:

      Those men need to make better choices in life.  What you get, is what you looked for.  Stop looking down, always look up.

    • Anonymous says:

      Such an unqualified statement.  It can happen between any two people of any age and either gender.

    • Anonymous says:

      His only problem was that he held on to this one for too long. He should have replaced her with another young woman a long time ago.

    • Anonymous says:

      That's right. it is a routine thing to murder your much older boyfriend. smh What a callous idiot.  

  16. Anonymous says:

    Love is a many splendoured thing. Especially between a 54 year old and a 29 year old.

    • Anonymous says:

      He should never have allowed the relationship to go beyond the three month mark.

  17. Anonymous says:

    There was no need to stab poor Perry to death.

    Hopefully the Judge will sentence her to the max.

  18. Anonymous says:



    Too bad there is no hanging allowed!

  19. Anonymous says:

    Bring in the finger printing system she may had a past of criminal activities back in her country, it would has flagged upon entry in these islands & might would saved this man life!

    • Diogenes says:

      First you assume she had a criminal record, then you assume that their fingerprint system would have been linked to the RCIPS, like they have every fingerprint system in the world on tap.  To say nothing of the fact that she must have produced a criminal record clearance certificate to get the right to stay anyway.   

    • anonymous says:

      It may work both ways keeping just as many in.