CHARLESTOWN, Nevis - A Brown Hill resident was spared a prison sentence after pleading guilty to wounding his girlfriend.
Twenty-three-year-old Kevin Timber on Tuesday (Apr. 27) appeared before Magistrate Yasmine Clarke at the Charlestown Magistrate’s Court to answer to a wounding charge.
According to the facts of the case, on Sunday, March 21, 2010, Timber went to his girlfriend’s residence and entered her bedroom with a knife and screwdriver. An argument erupted between the two parties and he stabbed her with the knife under her neck.
The court was also told that following the stabbing incident, Timber then plugged a curling iron into an electrical outlet. After it was heated, he removed it and started burning his girlfriend on various parts of her body. He subsequently took her to the Alexandra Hospital, where she was treated for her injuries.
On her way from the hospital, his girlfriend reported the matter at the police station, after which Timber was contacted and charged for the offence.
In his plea in mitigation, defence counsel Hesketh Benjamin told the court that he was guided by his client, stating that on Timber’s arrival at his girlfriend’s home he met her in the company of a male.
Benjamin told the court that after his client received no answer when questioning his girlfriend on the male companion’s presence, he apparently lost self-control. Benjamin claimed that Timber had shown remorse and begged the court not to impose custodial sentence due to the fact that he was a first offender, even though the offence was of a serious nature.
“This is a very serious offense and I hope you have learnt something positive from all of this. Normally, I would send you to prison for this kind of incident. This kind of violent behaviour could lead further. Your lawyer asked for a chance, so I am doing it today; but you are not just getting off like that…you will have to pay some money. If you appear before me again for this kind of matter I will send you to prison”, Magistrate Clarke told Timber before passing judgment.
Timber was fined $2 500 to be paid in three months and, if in default, he will have to spend six months in Her Majesty’s Prison.
Clive Prentice of Brown Hill also appeared in the same court to answer charges of beating and malicious damage to Anroy Cozier’s vehicle.
Prentice pleaded guilty to the charge of beating and not guilty to the other. He was however convicted and fined on both charges. He was ordered to pay $500 in one month or serve one month in prison for the beating offence and $1 000 compensation to be paid in three months or spend three months in prison.
Eighteen-year-old Donovan Ferguson of Jessups also appeared before Magistrate Clarke, but on charges of causing malicious damage and entering a property with intent to commit a crime.
Ferguson pleaded guilty to the charges and the magistrate remanded to prison for one week. She ordered that on completion of his one-week stint, Ferguson would have to give the court a report on his presence at the correctional institution.
“See if that’s where you want to be for the next couple years “, Magistrate Clarke told the teenager.
And in minor traffic matters, Jerry Cornelius of Prospect pleaded guilty to three charges - driving without insurance, driving without being holder of a valid driver’s license and driving an unlicensed vehicle. The offences were committed on Friday, April 23, 2010.
Cornelius was fined $500 for the first offence and has to pay that sum within three months or spend one month in prison. He was also fined a similar amount for the other offences or be a guest at her Majesty’s Prison for one month on each of the charges.
In an unrelated traffic matter, Wilmoth Paris of Government Road, Charlestown pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention. The offence was committed on December 24, 2009. He was fined $500 to be paid in four months or spend one month in prison.
