Kwame McCoy fined for 2011 assault on Mark Benschop

Former presidential press officer Kwame McCoy was yesterday found guilty of assaulting rights activist Mark Benschop in March, 2011, and he was ordered to pay a fine of $20,000.

Two other charges against McCoy, for alleged damage to property and simple larceny, were dismissed by city magistrate Annette Singh.

McCoy, of Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara, was given two weeks to pay the fine by the magistrate or he would have to spend an alternative of a month in prison. It was the second time he was found guilty of assault.

Kwame McCoy
Mark Benschop

McCoy was charged with assault, stealing a laptop and damaging a vehicle that belonged to Benschop, on March 5, 2011, at Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

Benschop, who is currently in North America, had testified via Skype last Friday that he was physically assaulted by McCoy and he had credible witnesses who saw the accused stealing his laptop and smashing the windows to his truck.

McCoy was called to lead his defence to the assault charge yesterday and he told the court that he never touched Benschop on the day of their encounter.

However, Magistrate Singh, in handing down her sentence, later told him that she believed the evidence that was presented to her by Benschop. She, however, added that there was no evidence to find McCoy guilty on the simple larceny and malicious damage to property charges, since the virtual complainant did admit in court that he did not see McCoy committing the acts since he had run away from the scene.

Additionally, prosecution witnesses were once again a no-show and Prosecutor Gillian Simmons was therefore unable to present a case against McCoy on the two charges that were eventually dismissed.

McCoy, who was relieved that the matter was over, was unhappy with the guilty verdict on the assault charge. Before exiting the court compound, he told members of the media who were gathered that he was innocent of all the charges.

For McCoy, the conviction is his second for assault. In 2012, McCoy was found guilty of committing an assault for gun-butting a man after a row over elections campaign posters. McCoy was found guilty of assaulting and using threatening language on Clifton Stewart, for which he was fined a total of $70,000.