A security guard at the East La Penitence Night Shelter who admitted that he chopped an unruly lodger with a cutlass was yesterday sentenced to a one month prison term.
Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton handed down the sentence to Shawn Heliger, who pleaded guilty to committing an unlawful assault on Mark Deoraj after the charge was read to him at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Heliger admitted that he used a cutlass to chop Deoraj on his head on August 12 but ought to explain that he was “defending himself” at the time of the incident.
According to Heliger, a Brans Security Services guard who was attached to the Night Shelter, he was on duty when he heard noise coming from inside the building and left his post to investigate the source. Upon entering the building, Heliger said that he saw Deoraj, who was under the influence of alcohol, cursing other male lodgers of the shelter. As a result, he said he cautioned Deoraj about his disorderly behaviour, while noting that it was neither the first nor second occasion he was behaving unruly and had to be spoken to. He noted too that Deoraj was known for “taking advantage” of other residents of the shelter.
After speaking to him, Heliger said that Deoraj responded by cursing him and using a derogatory term against him.
The court heard from Heliger that by this time he cautioned Deoraj about a knife he had at his bed, which he told him was not supposed to be there. He, however, said that after this caution, Deoraj responded by “threatening to kill and damage” him.
Heliger, who appeared before the court in a dishevelled state and had visible swellings and black-and-blue marks to his face and right eye, said that it was at this point he told himself, “me ain’t taking no chances, I have to defend myself,” and he chopped Deoraj with the cutlass.
Meanwhile, the prosecution said that Deoraj was hit in his head and about the body with the cutlass by Heliger, who became annoyed after he was called the derogatory term.
Inspector Burgett Grant said that Deoraj later reported the matter to the East La Penitence Police Station, which led to Heliger being arrested and charged. The complainant was present at court.
Before sentencing, Magistrate Octive-Hamilton reprimanded Heliger for the manner in which he dealt with the situation. She told him that if the matter was beyond what he could have dealt with in his capacity as security guard, he should have reported it to the East La Penitence Police Station, which was next door.
Heliger advanced that the shelter was a “dangerous place” and that he could not leave the compound at the time.
The magistrate, however, told him that it did not justify him chopping Deoraj, especially since he did not use or attempt to use the knife on him. “Do security guards go around the place now with cutlasses, chopping people?” she asked.
Afterwards, the magistrate imposed the one-month prison sentence on Heliger.
