Two men who attacked a Sion Hill resident as he was sleeping in a shop and beat him unconscious, resulting in seven days’ hospitalisation, have been fined and ordered to pay the complainant compensation or go to jail.
On Monday, at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court, Shem Williams, 25, of Diamond and Delano Webb, 27, of Sion Hill, pleaded guilty to a charge that on June 8, 2019, at Sion Hill, they unlawfully and maliciously inflicted grievous bodily harm on Cuthbert Young, of Sion Hill.
The facts of the case are that Young, a 43-year-old plumber of Roseau, Sion Hill, was at the Adrian “Kaka” Thompson’s liquor shop in Sion Hill liming around 8 p.m. on the date in question.
Young fell asleep and the defendants awoke him, took him outside and began beating and stomping him about his face, head and body with their hands and feet.
The complainant lost consciousness and his attackers left him there on the road.
The police were called and detective Sergeant 281 Winston Maloney of the Criminal Investigation Department responded.
The detective took the unresponsive man to the hospital, where he spent seven days.
The detective’s investigation led to the arrest of Webb on April 15.
Webb volunteered a statement admitting to the offence.
The investigation further led to Williams, who was in custody at Her Majesty’s Prisons.
He denied the allegation when cautioned and interviewed, but pleaded guilty in court.
On hearing the facts in the case, Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett told the defendants:
“How can you do that to a human being to cause him to be hospitalised for seven days?”
Webb told the court he did not intent to inflict such harm on Young.
“You all must think before you do things,” the senior magistrate further said.
Webb told the court that he only slapped Young.
During the sentencing phase of the hearing, Williams told the court that he had been in prison on remand “so long”.
He was, however, reluctant to say on what charge he was awaiting trial, telling the court, “I been helping a solider.”
The man said he was a construction worker before his incarceration but could not remember the name of his employer, who he said is from Diamond.
Meanwhile, Webb was appearing in court one week after being bonded for another offence.
However, the bond was not activated as the offence for which he was sentenced on Monday occurred before the one for which he was bonded.
Prosecutor Corlene Samuel later told the court that Williams was awaiting sentencing on a robbery charge.
In considering the compensation amount, the magistrate suggested EC$2,500 each and Williams said that was “small thing”.
Burnett quickly told him that in addition to compensation he would have to pay the fine.
The court further heard that Williams played the leading role in the attack.
The senior magistrate, therefore, ordered Williams to pay the complainant EC$3,500 in compensation by May 29, or go to prison for nine months.
Webb was ordered to pay Young EC$2,500 in compensation by the same date or go to prison for a similar period.
Both men were also ordered to pay a fine of EC$2,000 by June 30 or go to prison for six months.
If they fail to pay both amounts, their prison terms will run concurrently, meaning that they will only serve nine months in jail.
Utter craziness!!!!! People need to stop behaving like idiots. Beating someone for no valid reason deserves the punishment given and possibly more. Hope others who behave like fools will take note and learn a lesson from this incident.
Is it kaka that was beaten or cuthbert that was? Check your writing reporter.
Scum like this need removing from society as a protection for all Vincentians.
People will continue to behave in the manners in which those two imbeciles behaved. No kind of respect for human life. People behave in such a manner because the Court is too easy on the. those two vagabons should have been fine and confined.
These guys should pay the fine and serve time for it also.