Two psychiatric evaluations in 2 weeks for accused teen

Two weeks after health officials declared a teen “fit to plea” to criminal charges before the court, Magistrate Bertie Pompey has ordered another psychiatric evaluation of the accused.

The accused, Jace Baptiste, 19, of Chilli Village, Georgetown, appeared before Pompey on Monday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court dressed in a dirty white t-shirt, slippers and knee-length jeans, with his hair unkempt.

He was to answer to charges of theft and damage to property.

The charges were not read to him as the prosecutor, acting Corporal of Police Shamrock Pierre told the court that although the mental health institution had deemed Baptiste “fit to plea”, the recent matters allegedly “occurred after such fact”.

The prosecutor asked that the defendant be sent back to the institution for another evaluation.

Pompey accepted the prosecutor’s submission and ordered that Baptiste be sent to the Mental Health Rehabilitation Centre for psychiatric evaluation for two weeks.

The matter was adjourned to Dec. 11.

Baptiste made national headlines in July when he was charged with attacking two Cuban medical professionals in Georgetown.

Then, in October, Baptiste pleaded guilty to charges that he entered upon the premises of the Modern Medical and Diagnostic Center (MMDC) to wit the yard as a trespasser with the intent to intimidate.

The MMDC is the workplace of the Cuban nationals who were attacked in July.

He was also charged that between October 17 and 18, he:

– drove motor vehicle PT777 without the policy of insurance in respect to third party risk in respect of the said vehicle;

–  drove motor vehicle PT777 without being the holder of a driver’s permit; and,

–  took motor vehicle PT777 without the consent of the owner or any lawful authority

After hearing the facts of the trespassing charge, Pompey had sent Baptiste for a psychiatric evaluation and adjourned the matter to Nov. 2.

On Nov. 2, the defendant did not attend court and Pompey adjourned the matter to the next day at the Mesopotamia Magistrate Court, where he also presides.

For driving without being the holder of a driving permit, Baptiste was sentenced to one in prison suspended for six months.

On the insurance charge, he was sentenced to three months in prison suspended for six months and for taking of conveyance, Baptiste was sentenced to five months in prison suspended for six months.

The sentences are to run concurrently.