Leon Thomas, the man who used a cutlass to hack a couple and a school girl aboard a minibus on the Corentyne, is now a remanded prisoner after being charged with attempted murder and unlawful wounding.
Thomas 36, of Lot 15 Manchester, Corentyne, Berbice, appeared before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Albion Magistrate’s Court yesterday for arraignment, where he claimed it was the couple who provoked him.
He was not required to plea to the charge which stated that on January 21st, at Number 1 Road, Corentyne, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Meena Crawford Morrison, 40, of New Budhram Housing Scheme, West Canje, Berbice, with intent to commit murder. A second charge read to Thomas stated that on the same day, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Glen Morrison, 43, causing grievous bodily harm. He pleaded not guilty to the wounding charge.
The prosecutor, Sergeant Althea Solomon, objected to bail, while noting that Mrs Morrison remains a patient at the New Amsterdam Hospital. She also said Thomas has other matters that are engaging the court.
Thomas, who was granted permission to address the court, said he and Mrs Crawford lived together until two weeks ago, when she disappeared with cash and jewellery belonging to him.
He claimed that early on the morning of the attack, she had called him to “collect the stuff.” He said he went to New Amsterdam and was in a bus heading home, when the Morrisons joined the bus. He said the couple started an argument with him, which escalated and resulted in him being violent.
Stabroek News was told that while the bus was on the East Coast Berbice highway, Thomas started to accuse Meena Morrison of stealing his jewellery. However, the woman ignored him and he persisted with the accusations for quite some time. As a result, her husband turned to him and asked why he was harassing the woman. The exchange between the men triggered an argument that culminated with Thomas pulling a cutlass from a bag he had filled with clothing and other items and firing chops.
Meena sustained injuries to her head, shoulders and right hand, while her husband suffered minor wounds on his neck and hand and 16-year-old Yashmani Totaram received an accidental chop on her left hand.
Thomas, who is reported to have fled the bus after the attack, was caught by villagers and beaten before being handed over to the police. He is due to return to court on the 6th of February.
