A water vendor and a minibus tout found themselves in court yesterday to answer assault complaints they made against each other.
By the end of the proceedings, William James, 28, the tout, pleaded guilty to assaulting Kishall Rampat.
Rampat, 24, who initially pleaded guilty, had his plea switched to not guilty after he explained why he assaulted James.
Rampat told the court that on November 14, he was moving his water cart in the vicinity of Water and Croal streets, where James was filling a bus. Rampat said James took his cart and pushed it away and an argument ensued between them.
According to Rampat, James chucked him twice, dealt him “a box” and choked him, resulting in him responding with a cuff to James’ face, which burst the man’s mouth.
James said he was working with the Minibus Association on the Route 45 park when Rampat pushed his water cart in the way of a bus, in order to allow the driver of a “hot-plate” bus to advance to the front of the line of buses instead of waiting his turn.
After admitting to the assault, James was fined $20,000, with an alternative of six months imprisonment. Rampat was placed on $100,000 bail and will return to court on November 27 when the case will be heard again.
