After a heated argument in court between Prosecutor Sherwin Matthews and Defence Attorney Raphael Trotman, a 44-year-old man accused of attempting to murder a man who allegedly assaulted his fiancé and the said man were both granted bail yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
Orin Henry of 87 James Street, Albouystown who is accused of attempting to murder Christopher Davis was not required to plead to the indictable charge. Davis, 35, of 185 James and Calendar Street, Albouystown pleaded not guilty to assaulting Henry’s fiancé Ruth Trotman and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm to Henry, when the charges were read to them by Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson.
Davis claimed the situation had started a few weeks ago when he was outside his business place and saw Trotman riding a motorcycle. He said that he asked her for a ride and she reportedly said that she would not oblige and when he got on the bike, she told him to get off and started to push him off. Davis said that he eventually got off but did not know that she was waiting on a car that was parked behind her. He said that several days after that incident he saw Henry and apologized. On September 19, he said, he was in a nightclub where he saw Henry and Trotman. He said that as the two were leaving Henry walked up to him and told him that he had disrespected his fiancé and he was going to deal with him. An argument ensued and Henry allegedly broke a glass and stabbed him several times in the neck.
However, Trotman explained that on August 29 she had stopped in front of Davis’ business place waiting for a taxi. She said Davis never asked her for a ride but just jumped onto her motorcycle at which point she told him to get off because she did not know him. She said Davis refused and a scuffle followed, during which he scratched her on her neck. Trotman stated that some time after, she told Henry about the incident. She said when Henry confronted Davis, Davis told them “I is a bad man and I got no time with y’all.”
She said she was at a nightclub and she was leaving with Henry when Davis approached them and started using indecent language after which a fight broke out between Henry and Davis. It was during the fight, she said, that Davis fell on broken glass and Henry fell on top of him. She said that shortly after she saw a lot of blood.
However the prosecutor said, “It is quite strange that you [Ruth Trotman] didn’t see when your husband stabbed Davis”. When Trotman attempted to explain, he shouted, “You can’t talk she when I still speaking”.
Attorney-at-law Raphael Trotman was then attempting to explain to the court that his client suffered the worst injuries from the fight from his broken hand to the several stab wounds in his back but Matthews cut in and said “He neva went back to the station after de station bail. Cause…..”
But he was interrupted by a shouting Trotman who declared “you can’t speaking cause I still talking, Look at you, You tell she [Ruth] not to talk when you are talking but here you doing the same thing when I’m talking”.
Matthews retorted, “You can’t tell me to shut up, you can’t talk to me like dah cause I ain’t your child”.
The two continued to quarrel as the orderly shouted “Order in the court. Order in the court.” When he realised they were paying no attention to him, he said “Court Rise” at which point Magistrate Robertson walked out of the courtroom and went to her chambers.
The court was then told that the magistrate would not return to the court to deal with any other matter for the rest of the day. Matthews was then summoned to chambers and emerged shortly after and it was announced that the magistrate had decided to continue with the cases at 12.45 pm.
When court had resumed some time after 1 pm, defence attorney Basil Williams took over the case for Raphael Trotman. Henry and Davis were seen in conversation and seemed to have come to some understanding.
Williams then informed the court that the parties involved wanted to look at the question of compensation at $100,000 but again Matthews started arguing that he was not aware of that. This was shortly confirmed by Davis.
Matthews again stated that Henry did not return to the station after he was granted bail and that he was apprehended by police on an allegation of larceny.
But Williams stated that the police had wanted to colour the magistrate’s judgement by saying that Henry was fingered for an offence that he had not committed. “That is not proper…,” he said, but was interrupted by Matthews who said he did not know about the larceny case and he should not be blamed for the misunderstanding.
However Williams said, “I said the police was wrong not you the prosecution.” The defence attorney then applied for bail stating that the offence was bailable and his client was not a criminal but was just defending himself
.
Henry then confirmed Ruth Trotman’s story but added that Davis had broken his left hand with a glass bottle when he had hit him at the club and that as he never broke a glass and then stabbed Davis but he took the glass and hit him with it and that was how it got broken.
Having had enough of the drama in court the magistrate granted Henry bail in the sum of $400,000 while Davis received bail in the sum of $70,000.
The magistrate then transferred the case to Court Two for October 20. Henry and Davis were still heard arguing as they were being escorted out of the court by a police officer.
