Samuel Hinds Jnr. found guilty

Feb 07, 2015 News

Guilty: Samuel Hinds Jr.

… to know fate in 13 days

In thirteen days City Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond will rule in the case involving the embattled Prime Minister’s son, Samuel Hinds Jnr.
This is after he was found guilty on a wounding charge yesterday.
Hinds a 33-year-old miner, was convicted at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on the charge which stemmed from an altercation he had with his teenaged sister-in-law.
Reports are that Hinds had accused his then 18-year-old sister-in-law Tenza Lane of stealing one of his cellular phones, flew in a fit and brandished a gun, thrashed and threatened to kill her at his Lot 83 Duke Street, Kingston residence on February 27, 2014.
Following the incident, an unlawful wounding charge was instituted against Hinds.
His case was being prosecuted by Lance Corporal Renetta Bentham who yesterday beseeched the court to send Hinds a strong message.
During his first arraignment, Bentham had explained that the teenage girl suffered severe abuse at the hands of Hinds Jnr. that day.
“The defendant first verbally abused the virtual complainant as he called her a thief. He then threatened to kill her like a thief, Your Worship,” the Prosecutor was recorded as saying.
At the time, the two had resided at the same address and Bentham explained that he grabbed Layne by her hair and pulled her to the ground.
Hinds reportedly stamped Layne in the face and dragged her around the house by her hair.
Bentham said that he also beat her with a cane. “As if he was not satisfied, the defendant brandished a gun, cranked it and threatened to kill her, Your Worship,” Bentham had said.
Following months of trial, the Magistrate yesterday ruled in the case.
She recapped that during the trial, the teenage girl and Police Constable Garraway were called to testify on behalf of the Prosecution. The Magistrate said that as Hinds led his defence, he had elected to give sworn evidence and called two witnesses, his fiancée Sonia Herbert and the teen’s grandmother Pamela Knight.
The evidence, she said, was reviewed bearing in mind the standard of proof required. The Magistrate said that as the witnesses gave their evidence, she had the opportunity to observe them and found the teen to be honest when accounting the assault she suffered.
Magistrate Chandan-Edmond told the Court that she had addressed and fully considered the statement of Hinds and his two witnesses, but found that she “did not accept their account of what transpired.”
“I find beyond reasonable doubt that I feel sure that as a result of the defendant’s actions, the victim was wounded,” the Magistrate remarked.
The court, she said, had also considered the content of the medical certificate issued to the teen after the attack.
During mitigation, his lawyer, Peter Hugh told the Court that Hinds was the father of a 6-year-old and is engaged to be married.
He said Hinds has an unblemished record and asked the court to exercise its discretion and impose a fine in lieu of custodial penalty as allowed by Section 37 of the Summary Jurisdiction Act.
Responding, the Prosecutor said that there are currently no records of Hinds being charged or convicted for any other criminal activity. She urged the Magistrate to send a strong message to him.
At his first hearing on March 3, last year, the 33-year-old was previously released on conditional bail with several conditions attached. He was not taken into custody yesterday.
Following submissions from Defence and Prosecution, a probation report was ordered for Hinds after which the Magistrate is expected to hand down her decision. The case will be called for sentencing on February 20.