Miner gets 18 months for chopping man

A young miner was yesterday sentenced to 18 months in jail by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, after admitting that he chopped a man whom he saw beating his wife.

Troy Williams, 23, accepted that on August 22nd, 2018, at Four Miles Arakaka, North West District, he unlawfully and maliciously inflicted grievous bodily harm on Ravie Wells.

Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield told the Georgetown court that on the day of the incident, Wells was drinking at a shop with his common-law wife when an argument erupted between them over another woman. It was at this point, Mansfield said, that Williams intervened in the spat between Wells and his wife.

He said Wells then told Williams “about his mother.”

The court heard that Williams, who was armed with a cutlass, reacted by dealing Wells several chops about his body, before escaping into nearby bushes.

The injured man was then rushed to the Arakaka Health Centre and assessed by a doctor, before being air dashed later that day to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Williams was subsequently contacted by police and admitted to the offence, Mansfield added.

Williams told the court that he approached Wells to inquire why he was beating the woman and Wells told him about his mother and cursed him.

Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, before handing down the 18-month jail sentence, told Williams that he should learn to control his temper.