Pensioner on assault charge gets bail reduction

An elderly man charged with assault was granted a bail reduction yesterday after he asked for time to access his pension to make the payment.

Mohammed Shafeek, 66, of Lot 33 Seaforth Street, Campbellville appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman charged with the June 21 unlawful assault of Lalbahadur Singh, at Georgetown.

Shafeek pleaded guilty to the charge but the magistrate entered a not guilty plea on his behalf after he offered an explanation of the incident that led to the charge.

When given a chance to speak, the unrepresented Shafeek told the magistrate that Singh approached him in an aggressive manner and he in turn chucked him, resulting in the man falling and hitting his head at a construction site, where the incident occurred.

After viewing Singh’s Medical Certificate, Prosecutor Renetta Bentham stated that Singh sustained severe abrasions to the head.

Shafeek’s bail was initially set at $30,000 but he asked the court for some time to pay it, saying that he was a pensioner and would not receive money until the end of the month.

The court then informed him that his bail would be reduced to $20,000, to which Bentham had no objections.

The case was adjourned until July 3, when it will be called in Court Six.