Journalist Kenton X. Chance has honoured his promise to donate to charity the monies the court awarded him this year in connection with an assault he suffered as a result of his work last December.
Last Sunday, Chance donated EC$450 to the Rillan Hill Church of the Nazarene, where he is a member.
He requested of the church that it split the monies evenly between its compassionate ministry — through which food packages are distributed monthly to needy persons — and a fund dedicated to improving the physical facilities at the church, including the roof, which needs urgent repairs.
The journalist told the congregation that he was making the donation openly in light of his promise during the court trial that any compensation above what he paid for medical attention would be donated to charity.
Chance told his Christian brethren that relatives of the man who has assaulted him had abused him on social media because he decided to stand up for his rights after the assault.
He had told the court that he pursued the matter because he and his colleagues are “often on the receiving end of threats … outside the court.
“Even police officers are threatened outside the court,” Chance told the court, adding that while it was a bag containing clothing that was thrown at him, it could have been something more serious and dangerous.
In February, at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court, Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett, found Danroy Small, of Campden Park, guilty of assaulting Chance outside the said court on Dec. 17, 2017.
Small, who was 37 and had 24 previous convictions, struck Chance — executive editor of iWitness News and correspondent for the Barbados-based Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) — in the face with a plastic bag containing clothing.
Small was among prisoners in the pan of a police pickup who were awaiting transportation to prison.
Small struck Chance as the journalist was photographing some of the prisoners.
After Small was found guilty, Chance told the court that he would like to receive the EC$50 he had spent to receive medical attention after the assault.
He added that the court could impose whatever other penalty it thought appropriate.
The magistrate ordered Small to compensate Chance in the sum of EC$500 fine or spend two months in jail
Burnett also bonded Small for one year. If he breaks the bond, he would have to pay the court EC$1,500 forthwith or spend three months in jail.
Two police officers who witnessed the incident, along with the investigator officer also testified on behalf of the prosecution.
Small, who was not represented by a lawyer, did not call any witnesses in his defence. But in his evidence, denied hitting Chance with the bag.
Chance was one of two journalists who sought redress from the court in connection with a crime committed against them as a result of their work.
In July, the same magistrate found Shanet Williams, of Layou, guilty of threatening journalist Lyf Compton in in Kingstown on Oct. 20, 2017.
She told Compton, senior reporter at Searchlight newspaper, “Wait ’til Coco come out. Yo’ go see. Ah go mek he kill yo.”
Coco is the nickname of Williams’ fiancé, Colin David, who is serving a jail term for possession of an unlawful firearm and ammunition.
However, strong mitigation by her lawyer, Roderick Jones, resulted in Williams being reprimanded and discharged, rather than being fined or even bonded, which the prosecution had said would have also been an appropriate sentence.
Good Kenton let him pay for his crime. The lady should not get off and her threatening words are just as potent. Kenton, what became of the second case for Collin Coco David? I mean the case where he was allegedly found a second time with a gun while on bail.