Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson granted a man accused of malicious wounding $85,000 bail when he on Tuesday appeared in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
It is alleged that on June 27 at Georgetown, Jermaine Park, 20, of 23 West La Penitence unlawfully and maliciously wounded Carlton Westford with the intention to maim, disfigure or cause him grievous bodily harm. Park pleaded not guilty to the charge of felonious wounding.
Park’s attorney told the court that the incident between the two, who are no strangers to each other, is one that started four months ago when Westford approached Park to enquire about a problem between Park and Westford’s grandfather. The attorney said Westford then began to physically assault his client and as a result, a scuffle ensued between the two. He then applied for reasonable bail to be granted to his client on the grounds that he had had no previous brushes with the law; he has a fixed address, poses no risk of flight and has been cooperating with the police in their investigations.
Westford then told the court that he had been stabbed five times. He said too Park had hindered him from entering his home as he had stood at the entrance of the house and said, “If is a problem yuh want is a problem yuh gun get.” Westford said not recognising the comments as a threat he had answered, “Yes is a problem ah want, look meh head deh hay, bus it nah, bus it,” and Park, who had had a piece of broken bottle in his hand at the time proceeded to stab him about his body. He said apart from using expletives to the accused, he never touched him.
The prosecution did not object to bail but a request was made for it to be set at a substantial sum due to the seriousness and the prevalence of the offence.
Park was ordered to appear in Court Three on November 12.
