‘Vexed’ men to pay for beating up Sion Hill man

Two men who kicked and stomped a Sion Hill man to the extent that they put him in the hospital for seven days were both hit with compensation and fine penalties in the thousands this week.

Shem Williams of Diamond and Delano Webb of Sion Hill answered to the unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm of Cuthbert Young on Monday, April 20 at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court.

However, the crime that they committed against Young dates back to June 8, 2019.

On that night, the Sion Hill resident had been liming at a liquor shop in the area where he lived, and had fallen asleep.

He awoke to the defendants beating and stomping him about the face, head and body. The injuries Young sustained from this beating knocked him out, and the two left the scene leaving him lying there.

The police met him still lying unconscious in the public road, unresponsive, and they rushed him to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital where he was admitted as a patient for seven days.

The police recently met with both defendants, and conducted an interview with them. Webb was met first, on April 15, and he volunteered a statement admitting to the offence. On Thursday, April 17, the police spoke with Williams, who was at Her Majesty’s Prisons. Williams denied having any knowledge of the offence.

However, both were subsequently charged for the offence.

Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett asked the men how they could wound someone so much to cause them to be hospitalized for seven days.

Webb piped up, saying that he was vexed. Reports are that they believed Young is alleged to have said something derogatory about their relative and the attack was in retaliation.

“That’s the point, because you are vex anything could happen,” Burnett told him, adding that they must think and not after the fact.

He also told them, “We have a court system…go to the police or put in a civil case against him. But y’all can’t take the law in your hands.”

Webb contended that he just kicked Young in the mouth.

“Even that could have caused serious bodily harm to him,” the magistrate stated.

The defendant also indicated that he had had a “little alcohol”.

“You had a little alcohol in you? A little? Well I don’t want to see you when you’re drunk,” Burnett told him.

He asked Young, who was present in court, whether he wanted compensation from the two, and he answered that he had a hospital bill which was between $2200 and $2300.

Burnett revealed that even without him saying the figures, those were what he had in mind for compensation.

However, he contemplated whether Young would get the money as Williams is currently on remand for another offence.

However 25-year-old Williams said he would get him the money.

From his confidence the magistrate observed that he seemed that he had money elsewhere.

When the magistrate voiced the figures he was considering, Williams said that this was a “small ting.”

Burnett asked Young who was beating him the most. Young said both of them, but then said his vision was poor.

However, Prosecutor Corlene Samuel noted that the police said it was Williams who was kicking and stamping.

“The big shot one? Yes…who seems to feel that money is no problem,” the magistrate commented, noting that if he played a leading role the compensation would be different.

Webb chimed in at this point, saying that he doesn’t work and hustles to sell, but his family would help him pay.

In the end their fines were the same, $2000 each, by June 30, or they will spend six months in jail.

For compensation Webb must pay $2500, while Williams has $3500 to pay, by May 29, or they will spend nine months incarcerated.