A 20-year-old man charged with assault causing actual bodily harm and threatening language was on Thursday jailed for 18 months when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
It is alleged that on May 11 at Georgetown, Fitzroy Smith of 28 Old Road, West Bank Demerara assaulted Alita Grimes so as to cause her grievous bodily harm. On the same day also Smith allegedly made use of threatening language to Grimes, thereby causing a breach of the peace.
Smith pleaded guilty to the assault charge and not guilty to the threatening language charge.
The defendant who is the virtual complainant’s (VC) fiancé explained to the court that on the day in question he saw Grimes with her ex-boyfriend in a minibus and when he ordered her to come out of the bus, she refused. This, he said, caused him to become angry and he punched her to the right eye.
“My Worship, at de time when I see she in de bus with de boy I tell she come out and she refuse and with de vexation in me at de time, I knock she but me aint threaten she my worship. I threaten de bus driver cause after I guh to de bus on de park fuh talk to she, de driver tell me don’t come round de bus and I seh to he if yuh touch me I gun shoot yuh.”
The VC explained to the court, however, that after refusing to come out of the bus he threatened her life. “My Worship, I scared ah he cause is nah de first time he knocking me, suh I didn’t want to come out a de bus fuh fear ah wah he might a do to me.”
Grimes then explained that she decided to secure the front door of the minibus as Smith was trying to open the door in a bid to get her out.
“I then decide fuh put down de safety on de front door a de bus cause he de trying fuh open it fuh get me out. After I lock de door he start saying ah gun juk yuh up and de next time it gun be de bullet and den when ah done with yuh ah gun drink poison an kill meh self.”
By this time, according to the VC, the defendant had gained entry into the bus by way of the rear side door and he started to punch her to the right eye.
“My Worship, he come in from weh de conductor does sit down and vice me an start punching me in me right eye. My Worship, is nah de first time he beating me. He don’t want I go no way, one time he beat me up and swell up meh eye an ah had to tell meh family dat is bee sting meh. This boy does embarrass me an all kinda thing meh Worship.”
After listening to the matter the Acting Chief Magistrate said to the defendant, “You pleaded guilty to assaulting the VC, you are aware that this offence carries jail.”
Upon hearing this the defendant started crying uncontrollably and begging for mercy.
“My Worship, ah begging yuh fuh geh mercy on meh.” By this time he looked over to the VC in tears and cried, “Alita, seh something fuh meh nah.”
His cries became louder as the sentence was handed down. “Ow Alita, seh something fuh meh nah, seh something.”
As he was being escorted out of the courtroom and through the chute, he shouted, “Girl you tek away me freedom, oh God Alita seh something fuh meh nah.”
He was subsequently sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for the assault charge and has to return to court on July 3 for the commencement of the threatening language trial.
