Murder Suspect Marissa Shephard Has Been Convicted of Spitting in a Jail Guard’s Eye

Marissa Shephard, the 21-year-old Moncton woman accused of murdering teenager Baylee Wylie, has been sentenced to four months in jail for spitting in a jail guard's face.

Shephard was sentenced in Miramchi court this week after pleading guilty to assaulting an officer at the New Brunswick Women's Correctional Centre in the summer, the CBC reports.

The incident took place after four officers visited Shephard's jail cell, where Shephard was biting her own arm and banging her head on the wall, the court heard. As Shephard was being restrained and removed from her cell, she spit at a female guard, successfully targeting the guard's eye.

The guard was later tested for infections but did not have any.

Judge Kenneth Oliver called the spit attack "vile and disgusting." He noted the mental stress the officer went through, not knowing what was in the spit.

Both the Crown and Shephard's defence lawyer agreed a four-month sentence would be appropriate. It will be served in addition to any other jail time Shephard might receive.

Read more: What We Know About the Moncton Murder Trial That Started a 10-Week Police Chase

Shephard reportedly said nothing at her sentencing hearing.

A preliminary hearing for Shephard's first-degree murder and arson trial will start in May. Fellow suspect Tyler Noel, 19, is also facing the same charges, while Devin Morningstar, 19, was sentenced to life in prison in January for murdering Wylie.

Wylie was found in December 2015 in a burned out triplex.

According to Morningstar's trial, Wylie was stabbed about 200 times and was tied to a chair, covered with bleached and saran wrapped before the building was set on fire.

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