A man who fled the scene after the business owner at whom he was pelting stones discharged her licenced firearm, has been fined EC$600.
Magistrate Bertie Pompey handed down the sentence on Nicot DaSouza, a farmer, of Overland, on Monday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
DaSouza, who has told police that because the shopkeeper “feel she ha’ gun, she ah play she bad” pleaded guilty to the charges.
The court heard that on Dec. 29, 2018, the defendant went to the bar and grocery that Joy Ann Raymond-Cadette, of Layou, operates at Overland.
The defendant was misbehaving and Cadette told him to leave the business place.
DaSouza began cursing Cadette and struck her on the left shoulder with a cutlass he was carrying.
He then proceeded to throw stones at Cadette who drew her licensed firearm and fired a shot in the air.
DaSouza then ran away from the shop.
He told the court that his mother sent him to buy bread when he met Cadette walking in the opposition direction.
“I asked her, why you looking at me so? I was coming from bush and I lashed her with the cutlass on her hand. Nothing happened at no bar, is in the village on the street and she fired three shots,” DaSouza said.
For throwing the stones, Pompey ordered the man to pay EC$200 forthwith or spend two months in jail.
On the assault charge, DaSouza was ordered to pay the remaining EC$400 in one month or spend four months in jail.
Lawyer Jomo Thomas, as a friend of the court, said he was concerned that if DaSouza did not have the EC$200 he was ordered to pay forthwith, he would have to go to jail for two months.
Thomas said this was “a flip in face of the law of the Court of Appeal which says that he can go outside and beg his mother or a friend.
“The forthwith is out-dated,” Thomas reasoned, adding, “A millionaire will always get out but this man doesn’t have the means to pay immediately.”
At this point, the magistrate recalled DaSouza and said:
“I have listened to counsel who made a plea on your behalf. You have two days to pay $200 or two months on the throwing missiles charge. The other sentence remains.”
The learned magistrate should not have changed his mind. Truth be told the average layperson knows,when they go to court to answer a charge they must have some cash in hand, as a precautionary measure, to save them from jail
On the real flip side if this man had gone to this same attorney he would have had to come up with his retainer fee, inorder for him to take him as a client. These men need to stop praying on women, perhaps if this lady was not in possession of her firearm she would have been another dreadful statistic.
Vincentian as well , as Caribbean men need to change their mindset when it comes to females, who gave him the audacity to put a cutlass on this lady. He should indeed be lucky that she fired shots in the air as a means of spearing his life.
C BEN YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN , ANOTHER CUTLASS CASE LOL……….
WHY SHE SHE DIDNT SHOT HIM AND SAY HE ATTACKED HER WITH THE CUTLASS AND STONES …………THEN PLEAD SELF DEFENSE , THESE IGNORANT FOOLS NEED TO BE TAUGHT A LESSON .