Aunt charged with assaulting teacher after child slapped

A bank worker appeared at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a charge of assaulting a teacher and was released on her own recognizance.

Marcia McIntyre of 321 Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault causing actual bodily harm when she appeared before Magistrate Fazil Azeez.

It is alleged that on June 21 last year at Vreed-en-Hoop, McIntyre unlawfully assaulted Candace Vandeyar, a teacher, so as to cause her actual bodily harm.

Vandeyar told the court that she had scolded McIntyre’s niece because she disobeyed an instruction from her. She said McIntyre later appeared at the Vreed-en-Hoop Primary school where she teaches and assaulted her. She said though she fought back she sustained injuries by below one eye and at her wrists. However, McIntyre said after her niece had complained to her that Vandeyar had slapped her, she left her work place, Republic Bank’s Vreed-en-Hoop location, and sought to speak to the head teacher or the deputy but neither was available. She said Vandeyar was pointed out to her and she went to her. She claimed that Vandeyar had pulled off her shoes and attacked her and when she fled chased after her with a cutlass.

The former headmistress of the school who was present in the court declared that though she was out at the time, the school’s cutlasses were secured in the office and she had the key. She said that contrary to policy some parents would go straight to the teachers and “try to attack them” and that McIntyre was not even the parent of the child.

Both the virtual complainant and the defendant accused each other of lying.

Magistrate Azeez remarked “this kind of behaviour we can’t allow in our schools” while Police Prosecutor Robert Tyndall said “you can’t go to school and create havoc”.

The matter was adjourned to February 2 at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court.