A labourer who said he stays to himself and acted in self-defense, was moments ago sentenced to three years’ imprisonment after he admitted to chopping his neighbor with a cutlass.
“I does avoid these situations,” were the words of Royen Singh of Lot 37 Seaforth Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, who was sentenced by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan when he confessed at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Singh said “I did it,” after the charge which states that on October 29, at his home, he unlawfully and maliciously, inflicted bodily harm on Chris Balkarran. Singh told the court that he chopped the man and considers it to be self-defense because he stays to himself to avoid interacting with people. He further said that the reason he stays to himself is to avoid situations such as the one before the court.
According to the prosecutor’s facts, the two men who are neighbors discussed dunging which Singh had done in the yard they share. The court heard that Balkarran left the yard and then returned when he was ambushed by the man bearing a cutlass. He was chopped to his head first then both his hands, forearms, and his back. Singh escaped and Balkarran was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital. He was treated and admitted by a doctor on duty.
The medical report states that he received a chop to the head but it is not fatal, he also has tender injuries to his right hand and left forearm. The man who was sporting casts on both hands at the court said that his four fingers on the right hand are broken and now have steel in them. He added that the chops were severe on his left hand and two fingers now have damaged nerves.
