A visually impaired man was yesterday placed on a bond to keep the peace for nine months by acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson when the woman he was accused of assaulting declined to proceed in the matter against him.

When Joseph Noel, 50, appeared in Court One he pleaded not guilty to unlawfully assaulting Melissa Harvey to cause her actual bodily harm. Noel said that he was talking to a man in a car when he felt someone yank his bag.  In the process, he said, his cane accidentally hit someone.

When he realised that it was a woman, he said he apologized but still charges were brought against him.  He continued, “I am not violent, I am blind.”  He then continued apologizing  to Harvey and told her, “I’m not saying it with only my mouth, but with my heart.”

He then asked her why she would want to hurt him.

Harvey said that she was at work at the Guyoil Gas Station at 3 a.m. while Noel was there  begging. She said that he was told on a number of occasions that he was not allowed to be there. She added that she was sitting on a chair and suddenly felt a hit on her head.  The force of the action caused the cane to be broken into pieces.

When Harvey was asked if she wanted to give evidence, she said yes.  But after Noel had apologized profusely she decided to accept his apology and said she wanted to end the matter. Noel was then placed on a bond by the magistrate and told to stay away from the gas station.