A 60-year-old Questelles farmer has been ordered to pay a fellow villager, whom he chopped near his farm, EC$5,000 by October or go to jail for four and a half years.
Justice Brian Cottle handed down the sentence on Peter Weekes at the High Court, in Kingstown, on Friday.
Weekes was originally indicted on the attempted murder of Godfred Anthony, but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of wounding with intent, after his lawyer, Jomo Thomas, negotiated a plea deal with prosecutors.
Four character witnesses, all residents of Questelles, also testified on Weekes’ behalf.
They are Ann Jones, a retired educator, Minerva Glasgow, Deputy Executive Director of the National Insurance Services, Carlene Welsh, and David Williams.
The court heard that about 7:15 a.m. on May 9, 2014, Anthony, who was 41 years at the time, was walking past Weekes when he felt a blow to the neck.
“Why you chopped me?” Anthony asked Weekes, who replied, “You chased after me the night before.”
The chopping incident occurred on the street close to Weekes’ farm.
Anthony was hospitalised for several days ask a result of his injuries.
In mitigation, Thomas told the court that Weekes must be credited as, at age 55, it was the first time he had “troubled the law”.
He said that the incident was out of character for Weekes.
The character witnesses described Weekes as “respectful”, “a hard worker”, someone who “never got in any confrontation with anyone” and “outstanding in the community”.
Thomas also told the court that Weekes had visited the Questelles Police Station on numerous occasions complaining about praedial larceny.
The lawyer further said his client has shown extreme remorse and was willing to pay some compensation to Anthony.
The lawyer also informed the court that Anthony has expressed an interest in compensation.
This is nonsense, I am tired hearing of these excuses that he or she is a virgin of the law. It is about time that judge should apply the full ambit of the law and ignore thesea me excuses. Another one is an automatic reducton of one third of the sentence for pleasing guilty. This is why we are in the state that we are in today. In July we have witnessed five murders and still counting. These are the very reasonsame because been are soft on crimes. Another question, why is an elected politician is allowed to practice law full time when he is being paid by the government ? This is a case of double dipping, the laws must be changed. It is time to change the his law.
That’s true, why is Jumo Thomas representing a person in a court case. Time that he is spending in court after being paid by tax payers money should be spent going to the Liberty Lodge Boys school, the prisons, mental asylum and the poor home and meet with these people.