As he stood in the court dock before acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Leonard, 32, had a blank expression when instructed he was not required to plead to the two indictable charges of felonious wounding.
It is alleged that on November 2, at Micobie, Potaro, Essequibo, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded his uncle, Jones Raymond, and his cousin, Romel Raymond, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause them grievous bodily harm.
The unrepresented Leonard declined to say anything in his defence.
Prosecutor Kevin London told the court that it is the end of the harvesting season for cassava in Micobie Village and Leonard, Jones and Romel had consumed a large quantity of an indigenous beverage they call “Bashwar,” which is made from cassava. He said that on the day in question, a drunken Leonard approached Jones and asked him if he knew where he could find one of his slippers. He said that when Jones informed Leonard that he did not know where it was, Leonard became angry and took out a knife and dealt Jones several stabs to his abdomen. Upon seeing this, the prosecutor noted, Romel intervened in the altercation but he too got several slashes to his arm from the enraged Leonard.
