After admitting to breaking his neighbour’s nose and damaging his glasses, a man has been given a chance to avoid prison if he can pay over a total of $60,000 in compensation by today.
Leon Murray, 35, admitted to the crimes after the charges were read to him by Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty in Georgetown.
The court heard that on September 5th, in the vicinity of Georgetown, Murray inflicted grievous bodily harm upon Shawn Solomon. Further, it was also alleged that on the same day Murray maliciously damaged a pair of spectacles, valued $30,000, which was the property of Solomon.
Police Prosecutor Quinn Harris told the court that on the day in question, Solomon had gotten home from work at about 10.30 am and he and Murray got into an argument, which resulted in Murray arming himself with a brick and pelting Solomon, who was struck in the nose. Solomon suffered a fracture to due to the brick hitting him. The incident was then reported at the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost, where Murray admitted to committing the offence, the court heard.
“I did shy the brick,” Murray told the court.
He added that he and Solomon were previously “good friends” and that on the day in question they had an argument after Solomon inserted himself into a conversation he (Murray) and another man were having about his (Murray’s) partner. He told the court that Solomon started saying disrespectful things about the woman and he got offended and answered him.
During the confrontation, he claimed, Solomon grabbed two knives and cut him on his right hand. He added that while the wound irritated him more, before he could react Solomon picked up a piece of wood and hit him on the head. “Your worship I was already vex and then when he do this it get me more vex,” he noted, before saying that he picked up the brick and threw it at Solomon. The brick hit Solomon on the nose and his glasses fell at the same time and broke.
Solomon, who was present in court, said that he and Murray had a previous court case where Murray was charged for theft and was sentenced to one year in jail.
After listening to the submissions, Magistrate McGusty asked Murray if he had anything to say before he was sentenced for the offences. She also mentioned that he had the option of compensating Solomon for the damage.
Murray seized the opportunity and offered to compensate Solomon for the offences. The sum of $60,000 was agreed and Murray, after asking the magistrate’s permission, was given up to today to hand over the compensation.
