Miner George Hanover, charged with stealing from another miner, yesterday told a court that his accusers made him strip naked and tied him to a tree in the bushes where they beat him.
Hanover appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer the charge of simple larceny, which was based on the allegation that between April 18 and June 1, at 35 Miles Backdam, Konawaruk River, Essequibo, he stole a diesel engine, a length of hose, a quantity of PVC pipelines, a metal drum and a cutlass, totalling $254,000 and property of Royston McCurdy.
Also stemming from the encounter at 35 Miles Backdam, McCurdy and two other men, Marlon McAlmont and Utoh Duke, were jointly charged with unlawfully assaulting Hanover, so as to cause him actual bodily harm. Additionally, McAlmont was arraigned on a narcotic charge which alleges that on June 1 at 35 Miles also, he had in his possession 56 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.
A not guilty plea was entered for Hanover, of 631 South Turkeyen, ‘C’ Field Sophia, by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, after she listened to his explanation and perused his statement to police.
McCurdy, 28, of Second Street Silvertown, Wismar, Linden, McAlmont, 23, also of the same address and Duke, 19, of 70 Victory Valley, Wismar, Linden, pleaded not guilty to the assault charge when it was read to them. McAlmont also denied the narcotics charge.
The prosecution’s case regarding the alleged larceny is that on April 18, McCurdy, who was at the time suffering from malaria, left his mining camp in the Backdam as well as the items mentioned in the charge.
According to Prosecutor Vernette Pindar, when McCurdy returned to the camp on June 1, he discovered the items missing. As a result, he launched a search for the items, which were uncovered at Hanover’s work site.
As a result, the court heard, McCurdy, McAlmont and Duke armed themselves with cutlasses, with which they dealt Hanover several lashes about the body, causing him to sustain injury. Pindar said that the matter was later reported to the Mahdia Police Station, where Hanover was charged with simple larceny, while the trio was charged with assault.
When given a chance to speak, Hanover told the court that he had borrowed the articles but did not get the chance to contact anyone to explain. He said too that even when McCurdy approached him, he tried to explain to him that he did not steal the items but merely borrowed them with the intention of returning same.
The magistrate informed him that he should not have removed the items without permission from the owner.
It was at this point that Hanover said that the jointly-charged trio, while still armed with cutlasses, ordered him to strip naked and tied him to a tree in the bushes before beating him again. Hanover said that the men then bound and gagged him and left him tied to the tree, not far from the landing before leaving him there alone. He added that he later managed to free himself by wriggling out of the knots and he swam some distance to get to the police station, where he reported the matter.
After listening to Hanover’s account, Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry asked to see his statement, which she said seems to indicate that his intention was to borrow the items.
The magistrate said that she thought the alleged assault committed on Hanover was a serious matter and told the prosecution that the file should be sent to the chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.
Attorney Collis Baveghems, who represented the three men, made an application for them to be admitted to reasonable bail, saying that they have fixed addresses and boast unblemished records.
The prosecution had no objections to any of the four men in both matters being granted bail. The magistrate, however, informed that McCurdy, McAlmont and Duke would be remanded to prison because of the serious nature of the charge levelled against them.
Hanover was however admitted to bail in the sum of $75,000.
Meanwhile, as regards the narcotic-trafficking charge against McAlmont, Pindar said that the accused was found to be in possession of the illegal substance by police when they responded to the alleged assault committed on Hanover.
She said that the police observed the defendant acting in a suspicious manner and as a result carried out a search on him and a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems believed to be cannabis was found concealed in a small parcel wrapped in brown scotch tape in his pocket.
The court then heard that McAlmont was taken into custody where the suspected cannabis was weighed in his presence and amounted to that mentioned in the charge. He was later told of the offence committed, arrested and charged.
For this offence, the accused was informed that he will be remanded to prison since no special circumstances for bail to be considered were advanced.
All matters were transferred to the Mahdia Magistrates’ Court for June 17.
