Canadian-born Jane Finch had lived in Antigua for more than four decades

Tahna Weston

An apparently cheerful Brittany Jno-Baptiste was yesterday given the date for her trial for the 2021 killing of Piccadilly resident Jane Finch.

After being brought up from the holding area at the High Court of Justice, Jno-Baptiste, dressed in all black, entered the courtroom with a bounce in her step, a smile on her face and greeted the court with a clear and distinct “Morning”.

Her jovial disposition even caught the attention of High Court Judge Justice Tunde Bakre, who commented openly in court about her cheerful temperament.

The trial is set to begin on November 18.

Jno-Baptiste is accused of killing Finch after allegedly entering her house.

She was reportedly discovered in the 66-year-old’s home on October 4, 2021, the same time Finch was found dead there.

The police found Finch’s body after she made a distress call to the Dockyard Police Station and posted a plea for help on Facebook claiming that an intruder was attempting to break into her house.

Officers subsequently visited the property and, upon entering, found Jno-Baptiste next to Finch’s body, which had multiple stab wounds.

Initially, Jno-Baptiste was charged only with burglary because of her then perceived mental state.

In January 2022, psychiatrist Dr James King deemed the accused woman to be suffering from a psychological disorder, which made her unfit to answer to any charges.

Dr King recommended that she receive six months of treatment, after which she was re-evaluated and deemed competent to stand trial.

Jno-Baptiste was subsequently charged with murder on August 3, 2022.

A few months later the police withdrew the burglary charge against her.

The police previously indicated that 22 witnesses would testify against Jno-Baptiste if she pleaded not guilty to killing Canadian-born Finch who had lived in Antigua for more than four decades.

During her arraignment, the defendant denied the murder allegation, paving the way for the trial.