Two women were yesterday released on $5,000 bail each after they both denied charges stemming from a misunderstanding over a birthday dress.
Keisha Edwards, 34, of Front Road, East Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown, and 25-year-old Melissa Calder of Diamond, East Bank Demerara, were yesterday before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court where they each denied a malicious wounding charge.
It is alleged that Calder, a full-time University of Guyana student, on June 16 at Georgetown, unlawfully and maliciously wounded Edwards. On the other hand, Edwards, who is the owner of Shasha Designs, was charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding Calder.
Following their not-guilty pleas, the police prosecutor told the court that on the day in question, the two women had a misunderstanding which led to them pushing each other and sustaining injuries. Edwards sustained an abrasion to her face and the inner part of her lip.
Given a chance to address the court, Calder said that she met Edwards about two weeks prior to the incident because she wanted Edwards to make a dress for her birthday. She said that she made a down payment of $30,000 after which Edwards sent her a sketch which she approved. Some days passed and she contacted Edwards about the fitting for the dress and she was sent a photo showing the progress of the dress. However, upon seeing the photo she told the designer that the dress was not what she originally approved. According to Calder, she then told the woman, via text message, that she would like a refund of $20,000 but she never got a response.
The next day, June 16, she went to the woman’s studio and she brought up the topic of being refunded the money. She said that the woman tried to tell her that she would prefer to fix the dress according to the sketch but she said told Edwards that she had to consult with her boyfriend before she could decide.
She then left the studio and returned some time later with her cousins and friends which Edwards objected to since, based on Covid-19 guidelines, there were too many persons in the room. Calder and her party complied and exited and Edwards spoke to her at the door. Calder said she persisted in her request for a refund but Edwards did not oblige. She said she then attempted to re-enter the studio but the woman pushed her back. She retaliated by pushing back at Edwards.
However, in her submission to the court, Edwards said that the woman told her that she was going to go to the police and “she was going to get her money today,” before she was pushed by Calder.
After listening to the women, Chief Magistrate McLennan released them on $5,000 bail each and instructed them to return to court on August 10.
