Shawn Lee, a music vendor, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts yesterday where he was charged with intent to maim, dismember or disfigure after unlawfully wounding Dellon Foster on July 11th at George and Norton Streets, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown.
The 25-year-old Lee pleaded guilty to the charge and was asked to explain his reason for using a cutlass to chop Foster.
He stated that he was told by the driver of the bus Foster conducts, to load music onto a flash drive and after he was finished the driver told him that the conductor (Foster) would have to pay him for the musical downloads. According to Lee, when he approached Foster, the man refused to pay him for his services and chucked him after he told him that he would not be paying. Lee said in a fit of rage he grabbed the cutlass which he keeps for his personal protection and he chopped the man.
The victim who was present in court objected to the man’s version of the story and instead told the court that on the day in question he told the defendant that he could not put more music onto the flash drive and that the driver would have to buy a new one. He said that Lee did not listen and when he came to him for payment he made it clear that he was told not to load any music onto the drive. He said that he left to deal with passengers and he heard one of them scream, looked up and saw the blade coming at him. He said that he barely managed to lift his arm to cover his face from any injuries.
Foster was in tears as he showed the court the pinky finger on his left hand which he says currently has no sense of feeling. He also told the court that he is the father of three minors and that he also suffered injuries to one of his shins and upper arm, so he was out of a job while recovering.
The medical certificate for Foster’s injuries was also presented to the court. Video evidence which both parties told the court exists could not be presented to the court because the tapes are no longer available.
When the Magistrate was finished listening to both men, she told Lee that she would have to sentence him but he pleaded with the court to let him compensate for the damage caused. While Foster explained that no amount of money could suffice for the injuries suffered he told the magistrate that he would need to think about it.
The man was then remanded to prison until October 25th when the compensated amount will either be paid or Lee will be sentenced by the court if he cannot afford the amount demanded.
