Latest update November 14th, 2024 12:12 AM
Female construction worker injures associate over “borrow money”
…released on court bond pending probation report
A senior city Magistrate is set to sentence a 23-year-old female construction worker who during her first court hearing confessed to injuring an associate in early May over a refusal to repay cash owed.
Accused:
Althea Andrews
Following the explanations of Althea Andrews, Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry indicated that she will hand down her decision later this month after she receives a probation report for her.
Andrews who resides at Lot 134 Victoria Road, Albouystown on Friday appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm to her associate, Onika Thom on May 8 at Cemetery Road, Georgetown. To the charge, she pleaded guilty and asked to explain.
The accused told the Chief Magistrate that she chose to confront Thom because the latter failed to make good on her promise to repay her some cash owed.
With her head bowed and in a somber voice, Andrews explained, “She (Thom) borrowed some money from me and when I ask her for it she tell me I ain’t got nothing to get. I walked behind her asking for the money and that’s when the fight start.”
She told the Magistrate that she had started the fight but the woman had “rushed up” in her face and started cursing at her.
At that point, the victim who had her left arm bandaged asked the Magistrate to also address the court but she was instructed that due to the fact that it was not a trial the Prosecution would be speaking on her behalf.
Sewnarine-Beharry asked Corporal Bharat Mangru who led the Prosecution, why there was a delay in the accused being brought before the courts.
She was informed that Andrews was only arrested on Tuesday since the victim could not have provided an address for the accused. Recapping, the Prosecutor explained that the two women are known to each other.
“Your worship, on the day in question the virtual complainant (Thom) was in Albouystown when the accused and another approached her asking about money owed.”
Mangru said that Thom denied it and went away but the accused later confronted her and dealt her several kicks, cuffs and lashes about the body causing injuries. She ran away but the matter was reported to the police.
The Prosecution stated that the aggrieved woman sought medical attention. Investigations were conducted which led to Adams being arrested and charged for the offence.
The Corporal noted that when she was told of the allegations she admitted to inflicting the injuries to the woman’s arms.
At this point, after already listening to the State Prosecutor and the accused, the Magistrate indicated that she will defer sentencing pending a probation report.
When asked by the Chief Magistrate, Mangru indicated that he had no objections to the young construction worker being granted bail pending sentencing. He requesed that it be granted in a substantial amount.
The Chief Magistrate granted bail to the tune of $100,000 with the condition that she contacts Ms. Joseph or Ms. Granville at the Probation Office housed at the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.
Meanwhile, the mother of the accused became emotional and approached the Chief Magistrate humbly requesting a bail reduction since she could not afford the sum offered.
The Chief Magistrate stated that bail must be commensurate with the offence for which her daughter is charged and referred to the medical report filed on behalf of the victim which disclosed that the injuries were grave.
Nonetheless, her request was met with a reduction to the sum $60,000 (the amount the woman indicated that she could afford).
The case will be called again on June 20.
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