Val T Ordered To Pay For His Mouth
 |
|
Val T
|
Basseterre, St. Kitts - Wednesday, November 12, 2008)-A high court judge in Basseterre found Valentine Thomas aka Val T, of Sugar City Rock liable in a defamation suit on Wednesday.
The suit was brought against Val T for repeatedly accusing A U Brown of Kyss102.5FM, of criminal acts, which are punishable under the federation’s laws by serious jail time, up to ten years in prison.
His Lordship Justice Bell after hearing the parties involved said he agreed with the submissions by Lawyer Adrian Scantlebury that Thomas falsely accused the claimant of being an abusive husband and for sexual assault on an unknown individual on December 18, 2006 and on January 1, 2007 respectively, in an attempt to defame him.
Thomas did a lousy job in representing himself following the withdrawal of two successive attorneys.
He tried unsuccessfully to discredit the two witnesses for the claimant (Cassandra Greene and Audwin Andrews), by trying to paint them as liars. Instead, the judge ruled that they were truthful and they had no reason to fabricate their testimony.
Thomas produced none of the seven witnesses promised during trial management and offered no defense, except that he did not make the statements, which were contradicted by the testimony of the claimant and also the witnesses.
His Lordship Justice Francis Bell while rendering his judgment told Thomas that “you cannot say things that are untrue about people and therefore you must pay.” He then ordered Val-T to pay A. U. Brown damages in the sum of $16,000 and cost of $4,800, for a total of $20,800. ~~Adz:Right~~
Brown said the case was brought to stop further “carnage” to his reputation. Although he is happy with the judge’s ruling, he said “the damage is already done and no amount of money is going to repair it. However a message should be sent to the public that slander is very costly.”
