Deon Braithwaite, who is accused of spearing another man with a pitchfork, will face trial for attempted murder.
Braithwaite was committed to stand trial in the High Court yesterday after Magistrate Ann McLennan found that there was a prima facie case against him at the conclusion of a preliminary inquiry (PI) into the charge.
Braithwaite was informed when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court that he had been committed to stand trial at the next sitting of the criminal assizes in the High Court. Magistrate McLennan explained to him that there was sufficient evidence and as such a prima facie case had been made out against him.
On July 10, the PI commenced and it saw seven witnesses taking the stand.
Prosecutor Neville Jeffers closed the prosecution’s case on Monday.
The charge against Braithwaite states that he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Safraz Gani, with intent to commit murder, on October 29, 2012.
He was not required to plead to the indictable charge when it was read to him at his arraignment last year.
He was first arraigned on October 31, 2012 and was admitted to bail in the sum of $300,000.
The prosecutor’s case was that the parties had a misunderstanding, during which Braithwaite stabbed Gani to his chest with a pitchfork and dealt him several lashes about his body with the handle of the fork.
The court was told that Gani sustained several broken bones and collapsed in an unconscious state before being rushed to the hospital. The court was also told that the man’s left hand had been paralyzed.
