Three Westmoreland men charged over June chopping incident

Three men from Westmoreland have been charged in connection with a chopping and assault incident that occurred in Morass district, Hertford, on June 27.

They are 27-year-old businessman Jovaine Smith, otherwise called ‘Talz’, of Petersfield; 29-year-old farmer Akeem Doeman, otherwise called ‘Biggs’; and 22-year-old Shemar Bernard, otherwise called ‘Stero’, of Mount Stewart district.

They have been charged with assault at common law, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts each of malicious destruction of property; using a firearm to commit a scheduled offence and possession of a firearm to cause injury, according to a police statement issued on Friday.

Police reports are that at about 8:50 a.m., on June 27, the three men went to a man’s house, where an argument developed. During the altercation, they allegedly used machetes and their hands to beat the man all over his body.

Following the physical assault, the men reportedly threw stones at the victim’s Toyota Voxy motor bus and his house, causing approximately $900,000 JMD in damage.

As the group attempted to leave, the injured man threw a stone at their vehicle, damaging the windscreen. In response, Smith allegedly exited the vehicle, pulled a firearm, and pointed it at the man, threatening to shoot him. The man ran off and later filed a police report.

Smith, Doeman, and Bernard turned themselves in to the police on Tuesday, and were formally charged on Friday,

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