Gold miner accused of drinking and chopping

Gold miner Merwin George was yesterday remanded to prison after denying a charge that he attacked another miner with a cutlass, after confusing him with someone else he had a fight with at a rum shop.

Both George, 49, of Lot 49, 14 Miles Backdam and the wounded man, Troy Daniels, had been drinking high wine in separate company at 14 Miles Arakaka on July 7, Prosecutor Burgett Grant told Magistrate Fabayo Azore.

George, the prosecutor said, began an argument with an unidentified man before leaving and returning with the cutlass.

However, he believed Daniels to be the man he had been arguing with, the court heard and chopped him to the left side of his abdomen and one of his wrists. As a result, Daniels had to be air-dashed from the area to the Georgetown Hospital, where he remained hospitalized up to the time of the hearing at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Following the attack, George was spotted and identified by relatives of Daniels and he was later arrested and charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding Daniels with intent to maim, disfigure or cause actual bodily harm to him.

George, who stood in the prisoners’ docks with a black cloth around his head, told the court that he had been wounded to the head by Daniels.

The magistrate subsequently refused bail and the matter was transferred to the Matthews Ridge Magistrates’ Court for August 6.