The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Court Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A PREGNANT mother was sent to prison yesterday to await sentencing for allowing her boyfriend to beat her four-year-old daughter to death in 2021.

This comes a day after this same boyfriend was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the child’s murder after taking a plea deal in court.

Ostonya Walker, represented by attorney Dorsey McPhee, stood before Justice Renae McKay on charges of exposing a child to grievous harm and child cruelty.

On November 5, 2021, Darion Smith, 34, beat Walker’s daughter D’onya “Bella” Walker to death while she was in his custody.

 It was previously reported that the child was irresponsive when she was taken to the Princess Margaret Hospital. Officers said initial investigations revealed Bella, a resident of Major Subdivision, sustained several injuries to her body, from which she later died.

 Police said the four-year-old’s official cause of death was blunt force trauma. The case prompted national outrage.

 Following Smith’s acceptance of the plea deal for the murder charge and Walker’s separate plea of guilty to her own charges, the latter was told that sentencing arguments will commence on March 1. On this date the judge will be presented with Walker’s probation report.

 While Walker’s attorney indicated to the court that her client is expecting to give birth in March as well, the accused was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until then.