Chapter 26 - THE VERDICT
The jury convicted Fenella of felony unlawful imprisonment and related domestic-violence coercive conduct under the charges that survived to verdict.
A separate impersonation/computer-use allegation was resolved through a lesser included or merged count depending on the court’s statutory framework.
The judge was careful.
No finding that Fenella intended to kill me.
No finding that she intended fetal death.
No kidnapping-across-state-lines fantasy.
The proven conduct was already grave:
She intentionally confined a pregnant adult for five days.
Provided water but deliberately withheld food as punishment.
Removed communication and transportation.
Impersonated the victim to prevent rescue.
Moved the car.
Prepared a false voluntary-isolation statement.
Conditioned release on compliance with personal demands.
Then sentencing.
Fenella was sixty-two.
No prior criminal record.
No psychosis.
No dementia.
She had begun treatment after arrest.
She continued minimizing until trial.
The court imposed a multi-year sentence with a portion suspended after incarceration, followed by probation and strict no-contact conditions.
Not life.
Not decades.
Real custody.
Real consequences.
Restitution included:
Medical expenses not otherwise covered.
Certain therapy expenses directly attributable to the offense.
Property replacement costs.
No payment bought forgiveness.
Then protective order.
Extended.
No direct contact with me.
No contact with Marin after birth unless a future court, under applicable law, ever determined contact appropriate and I separately consented where required.
No third-party communication.
No access to our residence.
Then Auberon’s case.
His diversion completed successfully months earlier.
Restitution paid for Fenella’s urgent-care copay.
Anger program completed.
No conviction.
He never asked the judge to erase the slap because of what his mother had done.
That mattered to me.
Then the shed.
Police released it completely.
We hired a contractor.
Not immediately.
The next week.
They dismantled it board by board.
I watched for five minutes.
Then went inside.
I did not need to see every wall fall.
The water jug went to evidence disposal after case closure.
The trowel came back.
I kept it.
For gardening.
Not memorial.
A tool.
Then Auberon asked:
“What do you want in that corner?”
“Nothing yet.”
May you like
So we left bare soil.
The simplest option.
