His hot head “was hot at the time” so Rodney Ricardo Matthews swung a cutlass at a man’s head, missed his target but hit the door of the man’s vehicle.
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Matthews, 50, of Bynoe Road, Worthing View, Christ Church, wasted no time in confessing to criminal damage and assaulting Torian Brathwaithe on October 24.
As a result, Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes ordered him to pay $1 154 in compensation to his victim for damage to the vehicle by March 31 next year, or spend 60 days in jail.
As for the assault, he was placed on a six-month bond to keep the peace. If he breaches it, he will have to pay $750 forthwith or spend 60 days in prison.
Prosecutor Sergeant Chrishna Brathwaite told the District “A” Magistrates’ Court that Matthews and Brathwaithe have a toxic relationship. On the date, two guys shouted for the complainant, who reversed to where they were and chatted with them.
It was during that conversation that Matthews came up to the car with a cutlass and swung at Brathwaithe’s head. The two men held on to Matthews so Brathwaithe could drive off. He stopped some distance away checking his car, realised there was some damage to the driver’s door.
When Matthews addressed the court, he said he and his nephew were arguing one day when Brathwaite intervened and pulled a gun on him.
“You see what these youngsters doing? These men got guns,” he said.
“I went to the police and they say they can’t find he, but they find me.”
Noting that he and Brathwaithe were neighbours, he said it was only because the complainant had pulled the gun on him earlier that he approached him.
In chiding his conduct, Chief Magistrate Weekes told Matthews: “You saw him; you got first chance so you gone at he with a cutlass – because the police ain’t moving fast enough for you.”
He added that had the cutlass connected, he could easily have been there on a murder charge.
“Is just that my head was hot at the time. It didn’t make no sense. It was totally stupid,” Matthews responded. (SD)