An artist accused of attempting to murder his neighbour appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday and was remanded to prison.
Brian Mathieson, 44, stood before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, who read a charge which stated that on September 27th at Princes Street, Wortmanville, he wounded Ronald Betancourt with the intent to murder him. The accused was not required to plead to the charge.
Based on the way Mathieson spoke while in court, the chief magistrate ordered that he undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers told the court that the defendant and the complainant are neighbours. He said that on the day in question, Mathieson entered Betancourt’s yard while armed with a knife and dealt him several stabs about his body. Jeffers told the court that Betancourt remains hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The prosecutor then objected to the accused being granted bail given the complainant’s condition.
Mathieson, however, told the court that Betancourt is always in the habit of troubling him and threatening him. He added that on the day in question, it was the complainant who went over to his bridge and struck him with a piece of steel and pelted him with a brick. Mathieson further said that he is being threatened by persons in Wortmanville and when he files police reports, nothing is done. He was then remanded to prison and the matter adjourned until October 16th.
