A Mahdia youth is now charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm after police say he knocked three of a constable’s teeth out with one punch during a skirmish at a nightclub.
Shem Wilkie, 22, of 11 Miles, Mahdia professed his innocence when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in Georgetown.
It is alleged that on January 11th, at 11 Miles, Mahdia, Wilkie inflicted grievous bodily harm on Mohammed Kadir, a Detective Constable.
It is the police’s case that on January 11th, at about 2.15 am, Wilkie and Kadir were both at a nightclub where the altercation occurred.
Wilkie, police say, was in company of his brother, who was behaving in an unacceptable manner and was subsequently asked to leave the nightclub. The Police Prosecutor said that the young man’s brother refused to leave and the police stepped in. A rank made an attempt to arrest Wilkie’s brother but he resisted and instead started a fight. It was at this point that Detective Constable Kadir intervened and attempted to arrest Wilkie’s brother. However, Wilkie allegedly dealt the officer a cuff to his mouth, resulting in three of his teeth becoming dislodged.
The prosecutor added that the two young men ran away afterward. The court was informed that Wilkie was arrested on Sunday after police on a foot patrol saw him. Arguing that Wilkie is a potential flight risk, the prosecutor objected to Wilkie being released on bail.
However, Wilkie’s attorney, Ronald Daniels, told the court that the prosecutor did not share the complete story. He claimed that Kadir dealt Wilkie’s brother a blow to the face and that Wilkie went to assist his brother as a result. Daniels noted that his client was adamant about his innocence, while adding that Wilkie had never had any run-ins with the law before and that he was never hiding from the police after the incident. Daniels said that Wilkie is known around the area and that he was at his home all along. He further said that after the fight at the bar, the police gathered and left.
Based on the submissions from both sides, the magistrate granted Wilkie his release on $70,000 bail, with the condition that he makes a weekly report at the Mahdia Police Station every Friday morning at 8 am, starting from February 7th until the completion of his trial.
He is to return to the Georgetown court on February 3rd.
