Man fined $200,000 for chopping, arson attacks

Kester Thomas, who confessed two days ago to unlawfully and maliciously wounding Dwain Caines and setting fire to home of the man’s mother, was yesterday fined $200,000 for his crimes.

Thomas, 25, had admitted that on September 20, in North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Caines with a cutlass, causing him actual bodily harm. Thomas also admitted to setting fire to the dwelling home of Norma Wishart, Caines’ mother, by pelting it with glass bottles filled with gasoline.

Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield had said Caines dealt a lash to Thomas using a piece of wood. Later, Thomas went to Caines’ home and started to hurl Molotov cocktails at it, resulting in a fire.

As a result, Caines armed himself with a cutlass and ran towards Thomas to confront him. However, he fell and Thomas stood over him and chopped him about his body, including his face, neck, and upper chest.

Attorney Paul Fung-a-Fat appeared on Thomas’ behalf yesterday and contradicted his client’s earlier admission that he didn’t throw the bottles to the house, instead saying that he pelted the bottles to Caines.

The magistrate then explained to counsel that on the last court appearance Thomas explained that in anger he went and purchased $500 worth in gasoline and proceeded to the dwelling house. There, she noted, he threw the first bottle and it entered the house but nothing happened, and so he then threw the second bottle, which then fell on the step and started a fire.

The magistrate subsequently fined Thomas $100,000 each for each offence.