Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday placed a 58-year-old visually-challenged man on a two-year bond to keep the peace after a man that he had allegedly beaten with his metal cane agreed to accept compensation of $100,000.
Desmond Straughn of North East La Penitence had pleaded not guilty to the charge of unlawful wounding when he had appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
He denied that on December 13 he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Jerome Willis.
Straughn’s lawyer Mohamed Zafar had stated that Willis had pushed his hand into his client’s eyes following an argument and that Straughn had started to lash out with his cane in self defence.
The lawyer had noted that Willis was drunk on the night of the incident and that he was the aggressor.
Zafar had also noted that his client is completely blind in his left eye and partially so in the right eye and added that he would usually have a 10-year-old boy with him who would act as his guide.
He also noted that his client had undergone surgeries here and in Barbados for the right eye.
However, Willis, who exhibited a swollen and bloodshot left and right eye, a swollen left cheek and a gash to the back of his head, had stated he and Straughn share separate rooms in the same house.
He said that he had gone home from work just after 11 on the night of the incident and had met Straughn mopping the floor. He said that he was tired and sleepy so he had told Straughn to stop mopping since he was making noise.
He noted that they soon got into an argument which resulted in Straughn picking up his metal cane and dealing him a blow to his head. He said that when he collapsed to the floor Straughn continued to lash him to his face. He was later taken to the hospital by a neighbour.
Willis then told the court “he sey he blind but he could see fuh go up and down de stairs by heself, he could see fuh cook fuh heself and he could even see fuh jump in a bus by heself”.
However, after some time Willis agreed to be compensated with $100,000 for his injuries.
