Stoney Ground resident fined $1400 for wounding brother

A Stoney Ground resident who cried while being sentenced has been fined $1400 for chopping his brother on the head, and on both hands and feet during an argument.

Grafton Boyea, 63 appeared at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on August 15 before Magistrate John Ballah where he pleaded guilty to the charge that on August 8, 2023 at Stoney Ground, he did unlawfully and maliciously wound his brother Jeffrey Boyea with the intent to do so.

According to the facts that were read in court, the Boyea brothers are not on speaking terms. They do not live in the same house, but Jeffrey goes to the house where Grafton lives, to visit his mother.

On Tuesday, August 8 about 10:30 am, Jeffrey went to his mother’s house and met his sister, who also lives at the house. The sister left about half an hour after Jeffrey got there, but he stayed.

About midday, Grafton returned home, and started an argument, asking for his mother’s food. Jeffrey responded by saying, “Why you not calling [your sister] to know where the food is?”

Grafton then approached Jeffrey and said to him: “You want I hit you, you want I box you down?” Jeffrey got up from the chair but Grafton pushed him back down.

Grafton then ran into his mother’s room, then Jeffrey went and held onto the mother’s bedroom door. Grafton was able to push the door, pushing Jeffrey onto the floor. Grafton then took a cutlass and started to chop Jeffrey about his body. Jeffrey received injuries to his head, both hands and both feet. He was able to run out of the house to the hospital, and the matter was reported to the police.

After stating the facts, Prosecutor Corleen Samuel said Grafton had no antecedents and he had expressed remorse about what happened.

Magistrate John Ballah referred to the guidelines and said based on its seriousness, the offence fell into level A, and so he began with a custodial sentence. When the aggravating and mitigating factors of the offence were considered, none were found. There were also no aggravating factors of the offender.

Mitigating of the offender were that he had no previous convictions, he has good character, he is of old age and he appeared to show remorse for his actions which Ballah said were his “saving grace.”

As a result, the court moved away from imposing a custodial sentence and moved towards imposing a fine with an alternative of a custodial sentence.

Grafton was fined $1,400 that is to be paid in five months. Failure to pay the fine will result in six months imprisonment. However, since there were no medical submissions, the court was unable to order compensation for Jeffrey.

Grafton was represented by lawyer Kay Bacchus-Baptiste.