Court orders foul mouthed old man to pay compensation

A 63 year old man found guilty of wounding was ordered to pay a total of $1450.00 in compensation to an ex- married couple.

After pleading not guilty on two charges of malicious wounding at the Kingstown Magistrate Court on December 19, Maurice Cupid was found guilty of the offences after a full trial at the Serious Offences Court on December 22.

The 63 year old labourer of Cane Wood was charged that on December 16, at Cane Wood he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Clyfton Diamond of Coconut Range. He was also charged that on the same date he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Amelia Neverson, also of Cane Wood.

After hearing evidence from the daughter of the two virtual complainants, the complainants themselves, the defendant, and his sister, along with two police officers, Chief Magistrate, Rechanne Browne found the defendant guilty of the charges.

Based on the evidence presented in court, Cupid told the daughter of the virtual complainants that a young girl like her wants her “[private part] suck” after he heard her in a conversation with another person on the street.

The young girl reported to her mother what the defendant told her and the mother approached the defendant to find out why he used the words that he did to her daughter.

Later, the father joined and their was an argument as the female complainant was upset with what was said by the defendant. She told the court that when she learnt about what was said she was angry and she went straight to the defendant’s home. She admitted to cursing and using obscene language.

The father told the court that he was not arguing, he told the defendant he did not come to fight as he is not a fighter. However, while in confrontation with the defendant about the words he used, the defendant used a small brown handle knife to inflict visible stab wounds to the virtual complainants.

The Chief Magistrate found the defendant guilty of the offences and told him that in her estimation, his aggression came as a result of being confronted because of the offensive statement he made to the child. She told him that should have never come out of his mouth. She also told him that suggestions like that to a child is very disturbing and described his behaviour as “out of order.”

In addition, Browne told Cupid that because of his actions people will look at him as a “dirty old man” because this should not be his conduct at his age especially to a child.

The Chief Magistrate told the court that the defendant has previous convictions related to wounding, with his last conviction being in 2020. She also said that she found a statement that the defendant told the police while he was under caution to be true: “them lucky is in them hand they get it ah been aiming for they belly”, meaning that his intention was not to stab the complainants on their hands but rather in the stomach area.

She found aggravating of the offence was the harm that the injury caused as it could have been worse, and the wounds were inflicted with a knife. The Chief Magistrate found nothing to be mitigating of the offence.

Aggravating of the offender was that he has previous convictions related to wounding, and the only mitigating factor that she found of the offender was his age-63 years old.

The magistrate ordered the defendant to pay total compensation in the amount of $1450.00 to the virtual complainants for the offences. He is required to compensate Amelia Neverson $450.00 by January 6, 2023 or spend two months in prison; and he is required to compensate Clyfton Diamond $1000 by February 6, 2023 or face four months in prison. Both sentences will run consecutively if he fails to pay the compensation.