A Union Island woman has been granted EC$15,000 bail on a charge that she unlawfully and maliciously caused grievous bodily harm to another occupant of an emergency shelter in the storm-ravaged southern Grenadine island.
Venus Porter was not permitted to plead to the indictable charge when she appeared before Senior Magistrate Colin John at the Serious Offences Court on Tuesday.
She is alleged to have committed the crime against Vishma Browne, of Ashton, Union Island on Aug. 2.
Prosecutor acting Corporal of Police 754 Harry objected to bail, telling the court that the virtual complaint (VC) was still in the hospital, with severe injuries.
The prosecution said there was no medical report before the court but asked that the defendant be remanded for seven days, after which the court would receive a medical update.
The investigator, PC 818 Devon Stay, told the court, under oath, that Browne was a patient at the female surgical ward of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.
He said that the VC had burns from the neck to the lower back.
“Her body is there, raw, raw; really affected,” the police officer told the court.
However, defence counsel Kay Bacchus-Baptiste said there was no reason to deny bail to her client, adding that there was no medical report before the court.
The lawyer said that the virtual complainant’s injuries were not life-threatening.
“If they need to have bail denied on that ground, they need a medical form. Even where the person dies in manslaughter, bail is an option,” the lawyer said.
She further said that her client was not a flight risk and had never had any matters before the court.
Bacchus-Baptiste said that Porter had volunteered her services to many old people.
She asked that Porter be granted bail with terms to guarantee that she attends court, adding that this is the reason for bail.
The lawyer said the police could not say that they have reasons to believe that Porter would not attend court as she had voluntarily gone to them and surrendered her passport and identification card.
The senior magistrate ordered that Porter produce a surety, surrender her travel document and have no contract with the virtual complainant.
Since Porter was staying in Chateaubelair, the court ordered that she report to the police station in that northwestern town every Wednesday.
The matter was adjourned to Sept. 2
Sad news today, Mr Chance. Nevertheless one would assume the clean up went well and people are getting back to some normalcy. I wish the people of the grenadines strength in this difficult time.