Minibus driver Monel McIntyre was yesterday sentenced to three months imprisonment for assaulting a ‘tout’ who attempted to lure one of his passengers away.
McIntyre pleaded guilty to the assault on Jermaine Christiani to cause him actual bodily harm when he appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octave-Hamilton at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Police Prosecutor Corporal Simone Payne stated that McIntyre and Christiani, who were known to each other, were arguing over a passenger in the vicinity of the Stabroek Market when the assault occurred. McIntyre dealt Christiani several cuffs to his mouth and the battered man reported the matter to the Stabroek mobile police outpost.
A medical was presented to the court substantiated Christiani’s injuries, including that pieces of one of his teeth were crushed.
Addressing the court, McIntyre said he was alone on the park with three passengers in his minibus when Christiani approached and told one of them to leave the bus, while saying he would take their bag. He said he told Christiani he could not do that and that sparked a verbal confrontation, during which the man pushed him, resulting in him returning two punches.
In delivering the sentence, the magistrate told McIntyre that his actions were silly and uncalled for.
