A resident of the East La Penitence Night Shelter was yesterday fined by a city magistrate after assaulting another resident in what he claimed was an attempt to wake the man up.
Eustace Reece pleaded guilty after a charge was read to him stating that on December 16, at the shelter’s lot 1 Arapaima Street address, he assaulted Bhimraj Ramkishore.
The 50-year old was fined $10,000 or an alternative of two weeks imprisonment by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
Prosecutor Bharat Mangru said Ramkishore was asleep when he was awakened by the defendant dealing him a few cuffs to the head.
It appeared the defendant thought that Ramkishore had stolen a radio set that had belonged to him, Mangru added.
When given the opportunity to speak, Reece claimed that he had only hit Ramkishore to wake the man up to enquire about a missing radio. According to Reece, he had left his radio charging and had awakened to find it missing. Reece added that his radio had been moved by Ramkishore at least once before.
In an effort to wake Ramkishore, Reece claimed that he pushed the man to his head.
Up to his day in court, he added, the radio had not been returned to him.
