Twenty—seven-year-old Desmond Rigby of Sophia was remanded to prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday accused of chopping a man on his head and left shoulder with a cutlass.

The stevedore had pleaded not guilty to the charge of felonious wounding when acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson read it to him.

It is alleged that on January 3, at the Botanical Gardens, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause grievous bodily harm, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Terry Faria.

Faria, who was also present in court, stated that on the day in question he was walking through the Botanical Gardens when Rigby approached him with a cutlass and “tell me foh pass every thing that ah gah”.

He said that he threw the things at Rigby who then retaliated by dealing him several chops to his head and right shoulder.

However, Rigby, who appeared surprised at the allegation, refuted Faria’s side of the incident and alleged that he had been assaulted by Faria about three weeks ago.

He said that Faria then ran away and that “I swear that I woulda kill he after that”.

Meanwhile, Faria told the court “I never do he nothing like dah”.

Rigby further stated that on the day in question he saw Faria walking through the Botanical Gardens when he approached him with the cutlass “cause is chop I dey wan chop off he neck”.

He said that he started dealing Faria chops about his head and body and that it was only because another man, who was passing by at the time, fired a gunshot in the air that caused him to stop.

He also told the court that he had another matter currently at the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court for which he is on $150,000 bail but he declined to speak about the nature of that charge.

The magistrate then ordered that Rigby return to Court on January 28.