Twenty-year-old Ryan Paul was on Monday remanded to prison when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson for allegedly chopping off a man’s finger shortly after an argument between them.

Paul of Lot 62 Herstelling, New Scheme, East Bank Demerara had pleaded not guilty to the charge of felonious wounding when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

He denied that he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Roman Daniels on June 5, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause him actual bodily harm.

His lawyer Debra Kumar applied for bail for him on the grounds that he had an unblemished record in the court and he had no previous convictions.

She, however, said that Daniels was known to the police in the East Bank area. She said that her client had been in police custody since the day of the incident.

Meanwhile Daniels, with his right hand bandaged and his arm in a sling, stated that two weeks prior to the incident, Paul had threatened him with a gun for interfering with his uncle. He said on that occasion he and Paul’s uncle had a heated exchange of words which had annoyed Paul.

“I jus tell he [Paul’s uncle] that he belly too big and duh is how everything start,” Daniels said.
He said he had reported that matter at the Providence Police Station. He said further that on the day in question he was walking through Paul’s neighbourhood when he saw him and several others standing at the corner.
He said Paul told him “ya coming in bad man village, ya see we cud kill ya.”

Daniels told the court that Paul then took out a chopper and swung it at his neck three times. He said he had gone into a friend’s yard and was backing away from the chops, but one caught him on his hand causing him to lose a finger.

Prosecutor Munilall Seetaram objected to the bail application on the grounds that the two men live in the same neighbourhood and the accused had threatened Daniels prior to the incident.
“If granted bail he may do worse,” the prosecutor argued.

He then asked that the matter be transferred to the Providence Magistrate’s Court.
The defence attorney argued, however, that the offence was a bailable one and Daniels was out of danger. She noted that Daniels had only sustained injuries to his right hand and fingers.

She went on to say that if Daniels had really made a report about the previous incident with her client the police would have been looking for him but that was not so.

The magistrate subsequently ordered that Paul be remanded to prison.