A 70-year-old calypsonian and pannist was, on Monday, jailed for four years for an ice-pick attack on his brother, the latest of his violent acts against his younger sibling.
“Ah bin done know that,” Bernard “I Reality” White said as he exited the dock and made his way to the prisoners’ seating at the Kingstown Magistrates Court on Monday.
“Tha’ harsh boy,” he further commented after Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett handed down the sentence.
White had, one week earlier, pleaded guilty to a charge that on Aug. 14, at McKies Hill, he wounded Fitzroy White, 59, by stabbing him about the body with an ice pick.
However, Bernard challenged the facts presented by the prosecution, and Burnett said that the matter would go to trial.
On hearing this, Bernard told the court that he wanted the matter to be disposed of then and there.
Burnett, however, told him that he (Bernard) could only make that determination if he (Bernard) were the magistrate.
During the trial on Monday, the court heard that the two men have an on-going dispute over property that belonged to their deceased mother.
The two men live in different apartments on the same property.
In the past, the brothers have had disputes in which Bernard wounded his younger brother, resulting in charges before the court.
About 3:05 p.m. on Aug. 15, Fitzroy returned home from Kingstown and as he was about to open his apartment, Bernard pelted a bottle, which missed him.
Bernard then rushed into Fitzroy and they began to fight.
Fitzroy fell on the ground and Bernard fell on top of Fitzroy.
Bernard took an ice pick from his pants pocket and began to stab Fitzroy about his body, resulting in nine stab wounds.
Neighbours ran to Fitzroy’s assistance and Bernard got off him and walked away with the ice pick in his hand.
Bernard went to the police station and told them what he had done and gave them a written statement admitting to the offence.
At Monday’s trial, Bernard told the court that his young brother was jealous of his success with women.
Bernard, who has been a calypsonian for over 40 years, said that because of his involvement in the arts, he had taken home over 70 women over the years.
During the sentencing phase, Burnett sang part of a calypso and asked Bernard if that was one of his compositions.
The man told the court yes, sang along with the magistrate and said that he had drawn inspiration from an affair he had had with a married woman.
Bernard had several convictions for crimes committed against his brother.
In June 2014, he received a two-year suspended sentence and was ordered to pay $1,500 compensation to Fitzroy for burning him on his left side with hot tea on May 31 that year at the same family house.
Correction: An earlier version of this article said that the magistrate sang part of one of I Reality’s song during the trial. He actually sang it after he had convicted the accused and during the sentencing phase.
Parents who refuse to divide their assets before they depart this world are leaving a war zone in their families.