A 52-year-old Langley Park man has been bonded and ordered to pay compensation for entering a property in his community and stabbing a dog in its neck.
David Balcombe pleaded guilty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to charges that on April 26, at Langley Park, he entered Jeremy Richardson’s yard in Langley Park with intent to steal and that he cruelly ill-treated a grey and white pit bull by stabbing it with a knife.
Richardson, 26, told the court he was at home with his wife about 10:20 a.m. when he heard the dogs barking.
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He said he peeked through a window and saw the defendant standing in the yard with a knife.
Richardson told the court that when the dogs approached Balcombe, “He swung the knife and cut one of the dogs then ran over the wall fence.”
He said the 15-month-old dog, which he bought for EC$1,500, “is still weakish but ok”.
Richardson said he spent EC$60 to get medical treatment for the dog.
Meanwhile, prosecutor Corporal of Police 817 Stapleton told the court that Balcombe gave the investigating officer, PC977 Fergus a caution statement
“I went for a hand of banana and the dogs approached me and that’s why I had to use the knife,” Balcombe said in the statement.
Responding to questions from Magistrate Kaywana Jacobs, Balcombe said he has been jobless for “over five years” since his right arm was amputated after being involved in an accident.
He said he lives alone, has no savings and does not receive any government assistance.
Balcombe further said that his younger brother takes care of him and pays his utility bills.
The magistrate said it had been quite a while since the defendant had appeared before the court.
After considering the facts of the case and the aggravating and mitigating circumstances, on the trespassing charge, the magistrate bonded Balcombe for six months in the sum of EC$300 or six months in prison.
For stabbing the dog, she ordered the defendant to pay EC$200 in two months or spend one month in prison.