Miner granted bail over Mahdia wounding

A gold miner was yesterday granted $900,000 bail when he appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with wounding.

The charge against Michael Douglas, 40, is that on November 17 at 111 Miles, Mahdia, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Deon Gilkes. Douglas denied the charge read to him.

Attorney Adrian Thompson who represented Douglas said that the police were supposed to take Douglas to get a medical certificate since he lost a tooth during the fight with Gilkes and also sustained injuries to his hand. Thompson told the court that Douglas had accused Gilkes of stealing a tool from him.

Thompson said too that Gilkes was out of danger since he had been discharged from the hospital.

He said his client was not a flight risk and will return for the trial. Thompson applied for bail to be granted in a reasonable sum.

According to Prosecutor Joel Ricknauth, Gilkes had borrowed a blowtorch from Douglas and was then accused of stealing it.

They had a misunderstanding which resulting in the accused dealing Gilkes several chops to his left hand with a cutlass, he told the court.

Douglas was granted bail and the matter was adjourned for today in Court 2.