Lakeside

A Lakeside woman who shot and killed her ex-boyfriend, who she said had beaten her, was sentenced Monday to six years in state prison.

Yvonne Lee Twaddle, 26, was sentenced by San Diego Superior Court Judge Frederic L. Link. She had pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the Dec. 19, 1990, slaying of Vincent Stauffer, 31.

Stauffer had driven from Pennsylvania, where the couple had lived together, to Twaddle’s Lakeside home, and, minutes after his arrival, she shot him to death.

Her attorney, Stacy Gulley, presented testimony Monday from Twaddle’s psychologist, who said Twaddle suffered from “battered woman’s syndrome.”

Police officials from Greensburg, Pa., told the judge that Stauffer was violent and had beaten women. Gulley displayed photographs of Twaddle showing facial injuries that Gulley said were the result of a beating by in Pennsylvania.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Susan Majors had urged an 11-year term. She maintained that Stauffer called Twaddle three times after he arrived in San Diego for directions to her house and kept getting lost.

Majors said that, while Twaddle waited for Stauffer to arrive, she called a friend and said she would be ready for Stauffer with a gun.

“This is not a woman who should use the battered woman’s syndrome,” said Majors, calling her defense “an insult to women” who legitimately make such a claim.

The judge said he believed Twaddle was a battered woman, and that Stauffer “did act violently against women.” But Link said he was not convinced it was a case of self-defense.

“She knew he was coming, and she was ready,” said Link.