The assault charges against the trio who were accused of attacking Tiffany Hinds, a teacher of St Agnes Primary in an incident that stemmed from a fight involving two pupils, were yesterday dismissed in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
At the conclusion of the trial, Attorney Latchmi Rahamat for the accused Sherwin Dalrymple, Soyini Gardner and Kandace Peters, put forward a no-case submission which was upheld by Magistrate Annette Singh.
It was alleged that Dalrymple on January 15 at St Agnes Primary School, at Church and Thomas streets, provoked the teacher, Tiffani Hinds with intent to provoke or annoy her. It was also alleged that he assaulted Hinds on the same day at the same location. Gardner was also charged. The charge alleged on the same day at the school, she unlawfully assaulted Hinds, so as to cause her actual bodily harm. She was additionally charged with unlawfully and maliciously damaging an acrylic denture, valued $12,000, property of Hinds.
Peters, who is related to one of the pupils in the fight was also charged for unlawfully and maliciously damaging a dress valued $6,500, property of Hinds.
Rahamat in her arguments told the court that Hinds became annoyed after Dalrymple questioned his son, who was involved in the fight, whether Hinds version of events were true.
The court was told that Hinds started to behave in a very arrogant manner and said the father’s questioning of his child suggested that she was lying. She stated that the father then turned to Hinds and told her that her behaviour was reflective of a market vendor instead of her profession.
Melzina Wolfe, a witness for the prosecution in her testimony said it was Hinds who hit Gardener first, which resulted in the altercation. However, with Wolfe not being in the room throughout the ordeal, Dalrymple was called by the court to lead a defence.
In the case of the defence, Dalrymple denied he assaulted Hinds and told the court it was Hinds, who launched an attack on Gardner, his wife, and pinned her to the ground.
Both Gardner and Peters were also called to the witness and related they did not see Dalrymple kicking Hinds.
A female police officer, who was a part of the defence list of witnesses, told the court in her testimony that when she took Hinds’ statement on the date of the report, Hinds never told her that Dalrymple kicked her.
During the confrontation at the police station between the parties, Rahamat told the court that Hinds, even at that point did not tell the police she was kicked by Dalrymple.
It is on this note that the no-case submission was upheld as prosecution failed to produce evidence to support the allegations.
