A resident of Grove was yesterday sentenced to nine months in prison after he admitted to chopping a man who was taunting and provoking him.
Marvin Britton pleaded guilty to the charge that on October 17th, at Grove, East Bank Demerara, he inflicted grievous bodily harm on Bill Narvan.
According to information presented to Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan by Prosecutor Brian Sukhna, Britton had a misunderstanding with someone, which later led to him attacking and chopping Narvan, who had just finished painting the roof of his home. Britton subsequently made good his escape.
When given a chance to speak, Britton agreed with the prosecutor’s first statement, saying that he had a problem with someone known as ‘Black Boy,’ who had thrown fish guts into his stall so he decided to speak to him. He said he then went back to weeding grass with a cutlass when ‘Black Boy’ threw three bricks at him, which prompted him to brandish his cutlass and threaten ‘Black Boy.’ However, he said Narvan, who was witnessing the altercation, handed a cutlass to ‘Black Boy.’ After a while, he added, ‘Black Boy’ decided to drop the cutlass and went his way but Narvan picked up the cutlass and started to taunt him, telling him that he “don’t like junkie.” He said Narvan then ran up to him with the cutlass in his hand and he started to back away.
“He rushing up to me like he playing cricket so I turn around and this man (Narvan) pelt four lash in me. I want to know if is a snake he beating so I lash him with my cutlass,” Britton said. He added that while he was only intending to lash Narvan, the lash resulted in a chop to the man’s left arm.
After Britton’s explanation, the Chief Magistrate sentenced him to nine months in jail.
