A 27-year-old man, who assaulted a police officer, was given the choice of paying $40,000 in fines or imprisonment when he appeared before the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Jagadin Deodat of 35 Howes Street, Charlestown was charged with unlawful and malicious wounding, resisting a police officer and using threatening language. A charge of unlawful assault is also to be levelled against Deodat.
The accused pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to him by Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle but he requested that the court allow him to explain. After listening to his explanations the magistrate entered on his behalf not guilty pleas for the wounding and resisting charges but he chose to maintain his guilty pleas.
On July 22 at Alexander Street and Shell Road the accused resisted police constable Alexander Johnson, a peace officer acting in the execution of his duty and unlawfully and maliciously wounded the same police constable. Deodat admitted that he was using indecent language on the said day.
Johnson told the court that on the day in question he stopped at a restaurant located at Alexander Street and Shell Road to purchase food. According to him, Deodat and another man were there consuming alcohol. The two men, Johnson said, began to argue and he intervened.
“I talk to him and he continue,” Johnson explained. The police constable said Deodat then lashed him in the head with a beer bottle and dealt him two punches after which he felt dizzy and slipped into a nearby drain which resulted in him sustaining a fractured ankle.
However, Deodat told the court that on the said day he and a friend had only consumed one beer. He told the court that he was using indecent language when a drunken man in plain clothes [Johnson] walked up to him and started to slap him repeatedly.
“I tried to ease he off but he still come on,” Deodat said. “He still come on, snatch me and tear up my singlet. That is when we had a scramble.” Deodat said that he did not know Johnson was a police officer until he arrived at the police station. “He didn’t identify himself or anything,” Deodat said.
Johnson denied being drunk. “No I was not under the influence of alcohol. From work I stop there to get a food,” he said. The police constable received injuries above his right eye, his right ankle and his jaw was fractured.
For each of the wounding and resisting matters the accused was given the choice of paying a $15,000 fine or 12 months imprisonment. For the use of indecent language he can serve a 2-month-sentence or pay a $10,000 fine. Deodat is to appear before the court again today on a charge of unlawful assault.
