Two charges against attorney at law James Bond following a fracas in East Ruimveldt on January 7 were dismissed yesterday in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
An in the same matter, a female police officer admitted before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton that she had been “set up”.
The officer was at the time offering Magistrate Octive-Hamilton an explanation concerning an indictable charge against attorney-at-law and Youth Activist Bond.
The officer said, “I was given the medical and the charges were instituted but I was set up because I know nothing of any indictable charge.” The indictable charge which was not read to Bond was one of damage to property.
The file was then returned to the police prosecutor to make the necessary changes and whether the matter will resurface in the courts is not known.
Meanwhile, the attorney had two additional charges levelled against him dismissed. The first was causing actual bodily harm to Adrian Wilmot and threatening language against Rawle Stephens.
The particulars of the charge are that on January 7 at East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Bond assaulted Wilmot so as to cause him actual bodily harm. It is also alleged that the youth activist used threatening language to Stephens whereby a breach of the peace may be occasioned. He pleaded not guilty to both of the charges after they were read to him.
The court was told that Wilmot, who on Saturday, January 7 made a report to the East Ruimveldt Police Station, told the police a day later that he did not wish to proceed with the matter and so it was dismissed forthwith.
However, Stephens was not as lucky as he was fined $5,000 for wasting the court’s time. Stephens in his defence said that he accompanied Wilmot to the station and volunteered information, but was never there to press any charges. To that Magistrate Octive-Hamilton informed that ignorance of the law was no excuse.
Also, Bond’s lawyer Patrice Henry in his address to the court asked that the police be made to pay costs. He also said that the virtual complainants indicated to the police that they did not wish to proceed with the matter and as such the charges are being viewed as a bid to tarnish Bond’s character.
Before leaving the courtroom the magistrate emphasized to the attorney to “keep out of trouble”.
She advised Bond: “Think before you act. You are an attorney; don’t come back to my courtroom as a defendant.”
