Prisoner Wesley Griffith, who was sentenced last week to five months in jail for attacking his accuser in court, was on Tuesday sentenced to 60 months in prison at the end of a trial in which the court found him guilty of robbing the man.
The charge against Griffith was that on June 26, 2013, at North Sophia, he robbed Derrick Halley of a BlackBerry cell phone, a Nokia cell phone, a house key, a motorcycle key and a quantity of cash, all totalling $277,000. It was also alleged that at the same time, immediately before or after, he used personal violence to Halley.
Griffith had pleaded not guilty to the charge at his first appearance on May 13 before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
His matter was then transferred to Court Three before Magistrate Judy Latchman, who presided over the trial and determined his guilt. Three witnesses were called in the matter.
On July 30, city magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond sentenced Griffith to five months imprisonment for attacking Halley in court.
The 19-year-old accepted that on June 20, he
unlawfully assaulted Halley.
At the time of the assault, Griffith was being tried for robbing Halley before Magistrate Latchman in Court Three of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
On the day of the attack, the matter had been stood down for a brief moment while Magistrate Latchman went into her chambers. It was during this time that Griffith scaled the prisoners’ dock and attacked Halley, who was sitting in the public gallery. He dealt him several cuffs about his face and body.
He later apologised to the court and the complainant for his actions.
“I just frustrated being in prison all the time on remand, remand,” he said.
He explained to Magistrate Latchman that before the attack he was asking Halley whether he [Halley] knew him. Griffith said that instead of being given an answer, Halley “just suck he teeth and turn away.”
Griffith then said, “meh worship, I geh vex after he suck he teeth when I ask he if he know me.”
He added, “He ain’t answering me, he just deh sucking he teeth on me,” “and I just jump out the docks and cuff he in he face.”
He said he has a host of other charges before the courts and to have had another laid against him was disturbing.
“I don’t know where this charge come from to come on me now,” a visibly distressed Griffith had said.
