Campden Park man pleads guilty to Christmas Day wounding

‘Twas not the season to be jolly for one Campden Park resident, who flew into a rage on Christmas Day, wounding another Campden Park resident.

Silbert Bobb, 35, a mere two days after the festive day, found himself before the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on a charge of unlawful and malicious wounding of one Deon Baptiste, 27, also of Campden Park.

Bobb pleaded guilty to the charge and the details of the events of that day were read to magistrate Bertie Pompey in his presence.

That fateful day, Baptiste said he had been walking along the public road and he passed Bobb, who said something to him. When Baptiste looked around, the defendant fired a Hairoun beer bottle at him, which he tried to dodge, but it caught him on his ear.

Not stopping there, Bobb is said to have pulled a grey handled knife from his waist and gave chase after Baptiste, who began to run. Unable to escape the pursuit, the complainant stumbled and fell in the path of the defendant, who reportedly stood over him and stabbed him in the back of the neck and near his left hand.

Although the court did not have the criminal record of the defendant at hand, the prosecutor said he was sure that Baptiste had previous convictions, having arrested him himself on one occasion. He also asked that the area of the body which was stabbed be taken into consideration by the judge, as it had been behind the neck.

When asked if he had anything to say, the defendant was not repentant, saying, “Is a gang thing and is me alone…I have to defend myself.”

He said it was they who troubled him first and repeated that he had to defend himself.

The magistrate said to him that he could have run to the Police Station.

However, the magistrate chose to fine him $400 forthwith, given the lack of a report of antecedents in court. If unable to come up with the money, Bobb will have to spend three months in prison.

Confused, Bobb asked, “when you say forthwith, you mean like today?” which Pompey clarified for him as meaning immediately.(KR)